


Invisible Fox

by TheBeardedOne



Category: Naruto
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:34:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 33
Words: 108,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27839194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBeardedOne/pseuds/TheBeardedOne
Summary: An accident bestows a completely new Kekkai Genkai on an orphaned boy, a bloodlimit that nobody could have foreseen...
Comments: 6
Kudos: 24





	1. Prologue

Some people claim that Fate controls everything. There are many sayings supporting this view. Sayings like ' _You can't fight Fate'_ or _'Fate always wins'_. For those who look at life that way, prophecy is an echo of fate, a signpost showing what must be.

Others claim that chance rules over all. That chance is constantly interfering, that a single flap of a butterfly's wing can cause a hurricane half a world away, that how a single leaf falls can change the universe. Prophecy for them is sign of what might be, depending on how it is looked at.

Both claims are true, and both are false.

The very nature of the multiverse explains why memories blur. It doesn't matter if one steps to the left of a stone or to the right. If one catches a ball or drops it has almost no effect on the greater path of things. They are simply localised ripples in the river of reality, slight signs that people are switching between universes where the only difference is where they put the car keys the previous evening.

Occasionally, though, a choice is made that does affect the river of realities. An Event occurs that diverts the flow, that changes the future for that particular sub-stream of realities. This is known as a Divergence.

There can be many such Divergences. A boy gains a scar on his forehead in accordance with a prophecy. But what if the scar took away his sight? What if the infant wandered away from the doorstep he was left on and got taken in by a woman who would come to care for him? What if an assassin returning from a mission took him and introduced him to her friends, one of whom was a god? What if he was taken in by those related to him but managed to turn himself into a magical cat a few years later? The Divergences are endless and go different routes with different endings.

But then what is the Divergence here? What is the event that caused the river of reality to settle into a different bed of events?

The answer lies in a dark and stormy night…

Well, a mid-afternoon, actually. But I always wanted to say the above.

.

_In another universe, the genin practicing the chameleon jutsu that his sensei gave him would still have noticed the young boy spying on him, copying his actions.  
The genin, in his anger at being watched, would have chased the boy until he was stopped by a member of the ANBU.  
He would have been interrogated and cleared of everything except hot-hotheadedness, a lesson he would take to heart.  
He would learn meditation, self-control and would pass his first Chunin exam with flying colors.  
And when he saw the boy again at the boy's chunin exams, he would fail to recognize him, but he would protect the boy as he left the arena after his friend, preventing a Sound Nin from throwing a poisoned kunai at him.  
Eventually he would make Jonin, get married and have children, living out his days happily and training a new team, imbuing them with the art of self-control._

_But that was in another universe..._

.

"Aaargh! Only the legs this time!"

Naruto looked up from the piece of food he had found at an abandoned training campsite. Although burned and then slightly dampened by the light drizzle, it was still edible, especially since he hadn't had more than a few scraps to eat in the three days that he had been thrown out of the orphanage on his fifth birthday.

Making a decision, Naruto stuffed the rest of the food into his mouth and crawled into the underbrush, his overly-large jacket (that he had liberated from the orphanage's washline after the matron had literally kicked him out during the night in just his underwear) brushing against the ground as he crept barefoot through the twigs. Reaching a position where he could peer out through the narrow gap between two trees, he paused long enough to re-tie one of the strings that held his oversized trousers in place, trousers that had come from the same line as his jacket.

What he saw was almost unbelievable, a boy a bit more than twice his age, with only his upper body visible. Naruto stared as the boy's legs faded back into view, then the boy began a sequence of handseals, carefully forming each one as he did so. Naruto watched, his wide eyes taking in every finger twitch that the older boy made.

" _Toton no Jutsu_!"

The boy faded from view and Naruto gasped.

"Who's there?!"

The boy flickered back into view and his hand blurred, sending a trio of shuriken slicing though the undergrowth. Naruto flinched and scrambled away as fast as he could. As he did so, a Kunai sliced past his head, missing him by barely a fingerwidth before bouncing off a tree and landing on the ground. Never one to pass up free tools, Naruto grabbed the Kunai as he dodged round another tree, then an idea occurred to him.

Maybe if he could vanish, the boy chasing him would leave him alone. Biting on the handle of the Kunai, Naruto began the hand-seals, unknowingly channeling Chakra and a hint of Youkai as he did so.

.

 _The term_ Million-to-one-chance _is often used to describe things that happen despite all the apparent factors that should have prevented it. When one sits down and actually calculates things, the odds are usually far greater._

 _One small boy managing to correctly copy the hand-seals for a Jutsu created by a Sannin and learned by several shinobi who specialized in infiltration and stealth.  
_ _250 to 1_

 _The boy actually being near a training field where said Jutsu was being learned by a Genin whose Jonin-sensei had left with the other two Genin for lunch.  
_ _25,000 to 1_

 _A Genin accidently throwing the only Chakra-conductive Kunai he had in his fully-stocked Kunai pouch.  
_ _20 to 1_

 _A Five-year old channeling Chakra a full two years before he could reasonably be expected to.  
_ _100 to 1_

 _Unknowingly containing the most powerful demon in existence and utilizing its power by accident.  
_ _20,000,000 to 1_

 _A bolt of lightning hitting a person.  
_ _5,000 to 1_

 _Cancel the previous. A bolt of lightning hitting a person_ without killing them at the exact instant that they were releasing a jutsu _.  
__2,750,000,000 to 1_

 _The total odds of such a sequence of events happening.  
_ _687,500,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 to 1_

_Compared to that, a million-to-one chance is a dead certainty._

_But Uzumaki Naruto, in every single universe he existed in, was known to live without being affected by the odds. If something was considered impossible, he could generally do it.  
He could learn the Rasengan in a month, then complete it when the Yondaime Hokage had given up on it.  
He could overcome an inability to replenish his Sage Chakra by using Kage Bunshin to do it for him._

_And he could survive being hit by lightning._

_Although the interaction between the lightning, the jutsu, his healing ability, his chakra nature (wind) and the suddenly-shocked-awake Kyuubi inside him…  
_… _produced something that no-one could have foreseen._

.

The Genin sat against the wall in the Hokage's office, his wide eyes staring at nothing visible to the rest of his team.

"…then he… he ran and I… I tried to… and he… lightning… gone…"

Hiruzen stared at the genin, then at the Jonin who shrugged.

"I have no idea, Hokage-sama. We came back from our lunch and found him like this. I would like to ask for permission for Yamanaka Inoichi or one of his clan to use their skills to find out what happened to cause this."

"I agree." Hiruzen said. "It may be important. Take him to the Yamanaka compound, and report back once the situation has clarified itself."

"Hai, Hokage-sama!"

.

"Eeurgh. What hit me?"

Naruto slowly sat up and rubbed at his eyes, looking round. For several moments, the mental fog prevented his mind from recognizing the situation, but eventually, several important facts peculated through.

He could see.

But his eyes were closed.

He could see.

But he couldn't see his hands.

He could see.

But he couldn't see any part of himself.

As the facts registered, Naruto inhaled sharply, then he screamed.

.

Afterwards, Naruto would be hard pressed to reconstruct the events of his first afternoon of invisibility. The first half-hour or so passed in a panicked haze, as he ran around trying to find evidence that he actually existed. Eventually, he decided that the bruises that he had accumulated by running into trees probably counted towards him still being alive and he sat down just as two masked figures landed.

"So, _this_ is where the demon brat was killed." One of them said with a satisfied tone of voice. "It seems like Susanoo had the right idea yesterday. I think I'll switch to worshiping the storm god for killing the Uzumaki gaki."

Naruto froze. He didn't know who or what Susanoo was, but having the masked figures talk about him like that…

"The work of the Fourth has been completed." Said the second in a tone of deep satisfaction. "He sealed the Kyuubi, turning it into a baby, and now that kid is _finally_ dead."

Naruto's eyes widened and he felt his insides congeal. Was that why everyone hated him? Was he really the Kyuubi, the monster that had attacked Konoha five years ago?

With a heavy heart, Naruto rose and set off towards the Hokage tower. Maybe the Old Man who occasionally visited him could provide answers.

As he walked, Naruto became aware that no-one was glaring at him, or making signs to ward off evil. In fact, no-one was looking at him at all. After the third time that he had to leap out of the way of someone striding along, Naruto tucked in behind a team walking towards the tower, using them to shield himself from being knocked over by those who didn't know that he was there.

"Hey! Did you hear the news?"

The man leading the team paused, his students (and Naruto) coming to a stop as another ninja jogged up.

"What news?"

"The Uzumaki kid's dead! He was hit by a lightning bolt and turned into vapor! He's gone, and so is that damned demon he was carrying."

Naruto blinked. The demon he was _carrying_? But wasn't _he_ the demon?

"That isn't good." The team leader said after a few seconds of thought. "It means that we've lost our Jinchuuriki, we're now the only one of the great five without a demon container. That puts us at a disadvantage."

Naruto frowned. Demon container? Did that truly mean that he _wasn't_ the Kyuubi after all?

"But with the Kyuubi gone forever, we are the village that destroyed not just a Biju, but the _strongest_ Biju." The new ninja smirked. "No-one will dare use theirs against us in case we destroy theirs as well. The Sandaime is going to make a speech about it tomorrow morning from the roof to explain everything."

"Then I shall hold off on tomorrow's mission." Said the team leader. "Thank you, aniki."

"No probs, big bro."

Naruto sneaked off, sliding past the chunin guarding the entrance to the tower. Running silently up the stairs, he soon reached the roof. Walking to the edge, he looked out at the sprawling town, then he sighed and moved to shelter from the afternoon sun under one of the curved panels extending upwards from the edge of the roof terrace. Closing his eyes, he muttered a curse as he discovered once again that he could still see perfectly with his eyes closed.

How was he supposed to sleep if he couldn't even block out the light?

.

"People of Konohagakure!"

Naruto jolted out of his light doze as Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice echoed, magnified by the seals set into the rising pillars.

"People of Konohagakure, The day before yesterday saw the death of Uzumaki Naruto…"

A huge cheer rose from the gathered crowd and Naruto's eyes filled with tears at the proof that he was hated so much. Hiruzen frowned and motioned for silence, a silence that was a long time in coming.

"As I was saying, the day before yesterday saw the death of Uzumaki Naruto and as such, it is time that you knew the truth about him. Naruto was born of the tenth of October, the day that the Kyuubi no Kitsune attacked Konoha. As most of you know, the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato, sealed the Kyuubi into the boy at the cost of his own life. That much you all know, but it is nowhere near the whole truth.

"Both of Naruto's parents died on the day of his birth, giving their lives to seal away the Kyuubi. His mother was Uzumaki Kushina, the Red-Headed Habenaro and Kenjutsu mistress, as well as the _second_ Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi."

The crowd erupted in gasps, shouted questions and screamed denials and Hiruzen again motioned for silence.

"The first Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi was Senju Mito, born _Uzumaki_ Mito and the wife of the First Hokage, a Kunoichi who bound the Kyuubi into herself when it was being controlled by Uchiha Madara at the Valley of the End. When she was dying, she transferred her burden to her niece Kushina, who had come here from Uzushiogakure to do so. The fact that Kushina held the Kyuubi was not well-known, at her request, but by holding it, she protected Konohagakure in a manner deserving of respect and admiration, for only an Uzumaki can hope to contain the Kyuubi without dying.  
"During her time as a kunoichi, Kushina met and fell in love with another shinobi. They often fought side by side and she eventually married him in a secret ceremony. Soon after, she became pregnant with his child.  
"A problem that female Jinchuuriki have is that when they give birth, the seal that holds the Biju weakens, meaning that it is possible for the Biju to escape. To keep Konohagakure safe should such a thing happen, Kushina, her husband and my wife secretly travelled to a cave for Kushina to give birth there, a cave that only they knew the location of.  
"Or so they thought."

The entire city was silent, the population barely breathing as the previously unknown story unfolded.

"As she was giving birth, they were attacked by an unknown person. My wife was killed trying to protect them and the Kyuubi was ripped from Kushina, mortally wounding her in the process. The person then unleashed the Kyuubi against Konoha, a night that we all remember only too well.  
"It was the Yondaime who saved us, but he did not do so alone. He managed to return the Kyuubi to the cave, where he and the dying Kushina worked together to seal the Kyuubi once more, this time into her son. Using a seal that cost him his life, Minato finished the sealing, then he and Kushina died in each others arms from the wounds they had taken. They died, and their son, Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto, lived."

For almost a full minute, it didn't sink in, then a wave of shouts, curses and protests rose into the air. Once again, Hiruzen motioned for silence, but this time, it was a long time coming. When the crowd had finally quietened down, Hiruzen spoke again.

"The last wish of Minato was that his son would be seen as a hero. This morning, I fulfilled that wish when I engraved his name on the memorial stone. In his death, he took the Kyuubi with him. He was _not_ the Kyuubi, he was its prison and its jailor, only a fool or a moron would believe otherwise.  
"And with him gone, so to goes any chance of the Namikaze legacy being revived. The Namikaze Mansion, hidden behind the time-space seals, can only be opened by one of Namikaze blood, and there are none now that Naruto is gone. The _Rasengan_ and the _Hiraishin_ are now no more, the scrolls containing them forever concealed in the Namikaze library. I have no doubt that our enemies shall rejoice at our misfortune. I can hope only that when he died, Naruto truly took the Kyuubi with him, for if he did not, the Kyuubi shall return for it is almost impossible to permanently kill a Biju since they reform within ten years of their deaths and we no longer have an Uzumaki available to contain it for us.  
"I hope you are proud of yourselves and of the hatred you had for the one who saved us."

With that final snarled comment, accompanied by a blast of Killing Intent that almost caused Naruto to empty his bladder, Hiruzen stalked off, vanishing back into the tower. As the other adults followed him, talking amongst themselves in low voices, Naruto stayed motionless, thinking about what he had learned.

His father was the Fourth Hokage!

His mother had been a famous ninja!

He was the reason his parents had died, and everyone thought that he was dead. Him and the Kyuubi inside him.

The sun sank as Naruto thought about what he had learned. As it touched the horizon, Naruto nodded to himself.

"They think I'm dead, so I am. I'm going to be a ghost. I can't be Uzumaki Naruto any more, I'm Yurei, a spirit. I'll stay as Naruto, but now… Now, I'm Yurei Naruto, the Spirit of the Maelstrom."


	2. Spirit Friend

For most of Konoha, it was a bright and pleasant day. The Demon Brat had died a month prior, causing quite a few celebrations, followed very soon after by several mass admissions to the hospital as those who saw the lineage of the Jinchuuriki as being more important than his burden disagreed with those who hadn't bothered to understand the difference between something that is sealed and what it is sealed in.

It was probably worth noting that almost all the hospital admissions were people in the latter category, with a very large majority of them being non-ninja. Although the injuries were generally not permanently crippling, they tended to be very painful and slow to heal, often leaving scars.

Oddly, most of the victims received spiraling scars on their lower abdomens, scars suspiciously similar to the seal that had once been used to restrain the Kyuubi.

After the fuss had died down to a low simmer, Konoha entered a new phase. With the loss of its greatest weapon, the Hokage decided to re-organize his ninja to compensate. Within two weeks of Naruto's apparent demise, the first non-Uchiha military police had been recruited from the Hyuuga, Aburame and Inuzuka clans while almost half of the Uchiha ninjas of chunin level and above had been reassigned to the active shinobi ranks with a specific code of conduct being enforced regarding the use of their Sharingan within Konoha itself (although this was balanced by the payment of bounties for jutsu copied from the ninja of other nations and placed into a new archive for any ninja to learn from).

This was only the first (and the most obvious) of the changes.

.

Hinata tried to back up further, but the tree behind her prevented her retreat as the three girls loomed before her.

It wasn't fair! She was only almost six, what had she done to annoy them like that? Why couldn't they leave her alone? All she wanted was someone to be friends with, not to be hit for something that she didn't even have anything to do with.

The leader of the trio, a girl named Ami, smirked as she slowly swung the stick that she was holding, a stick which she had snapped so that the end was sharp and jagged.

"Why are you doing this?" Hinata begged and Ami's face twisted into a wicked grin.

"Because you are a Hyuuga, so high and mighty. Well, we'll show you that you don't need to be in a clan to be strong."

Hinata crouched, curling her arms to protect her face, then she heard a loud slap.

"Who did that!?

"I… didn't see anyone, Ami."

"Well someone hit me." Ami snarled, looking round, then her gaze snapped back to her confused victim. "I bet it was you, we all know you Hyuuga do weird things."

Hinata shook her head. She had no idea what was going on, but…

SLAP!

Ami leapt into the air with a scream, grabbing her butt. Her two friends stared at her in shock.

SLAP! SLAP!

Hinata managed not to giggle as the other two girls suddenly reacted, grabbing at their own butts.

"…hide…"

Hinata blinked as the young voice whispered into her ear, then she nodded and quickly slipped behind the tree that the trio had backed her against. Keeping her back to the tree, Hinata wished that she had managed to activate her Byakugan so that she could see what was happening on the other side of the tree, where the three girls were standing back to back and…

Hinata blinked in shock. She could _see_ them, even though the tree was between her and them. The colors had faded and she could see the glow of chakra…

She had activated her Byakugan!

Managing not to shout with joy, Hinata concentrated on what was happening. Her Byakugan was only letting her see about twenty meters, but it was more than enough to let her watch the bullies.

SLAP!

Ami's head jerked round, he cheek reddening with the invisible impact, then another slap sounded and the girl with the large hairstyle started to cry. The third girl raised her hands to cover her face, only for something to grab her hair and pull, causing her to stumble to her knees.

"Who's doing this?!" Ami screamed and Hinata gasped as the voice that had told her to hide spoke.

"I am Yurei and I was bullied while I lived. Now all who pick on others shall feel my pain!"

Ami's nerve broke and she fled, her face fixed in a rictus of fear, her two friends running after her, leaving liquid evidence of their presence. Swallowing, Hinata stepped back round the tree, her Byakugan fading as she did so.

"Y… yurei-sama? Are… are you still here?"

Although the voice didn't answer, Hinata could almost feel invisible eyes looking at her. Gathering her courage, she bowed deeply.

"I.. My name is Hyuuga Hinata. Thank you for saving me."

For a moment there was only silence, then the voice whispered a name.

"Yurei Ruto?" Hinata repeated. "Thank you Ruto-sama."

"…you are not scared of me?" the voice whispered and Hinata smiled.

"You saved me. Why should I be scared?"

Hinata almost jumped as an invisible hand took her own, then she reached down with her free hand to stroke its fingers. Moving her hand, she traced a path up Yurei's arm, feeling a worn, loose sleeve over his bony limb, then up to his shoulder, his neck and finally she stopped with her hand cupping the side of his face. Although she couldn't see him, she stared into the space where his eyes would be and smiled.

"Hinata-sama!"

Hinata jumped at the call and dropped her hands, realizing just too late that in doing so, she no longer _knew_ where her savior was.

"Hinata-sama, it is time for you to return to the clan compound. Your mother wishes for you to meet your new sister."

Hinata gasped with joy. She had known that her mother was due to give birth, and now she had a sister.

"Coming!" She shouted, then she looked round, realizing even as she did so that it was probably a totally pointless action. "Ruto-sama, will you come with me? Please?"

For a moment, there was no response and Hinata blinked away the tears that threatened to fill her eyes.

"…alright."

Hinata smiled as she felt a hand slide into her own.

.

"…she's so small." Hinata said in astonishment, gazing at her new sibling. Hitomi giggled tiredly.

"She will grow, Hinata. She will grow."

"Indeed she will." Said another voice and Hinata looked up to see her father smiling down at them. "I think we should tell our daughter the name of her new sister, don't you?"

"Her name is Hanabi." Hitomi replied, looking down at her newest daughter.

"An excellent name." Hiashi said, gently reaching out to run a finger down the cheek of his youngest child. "Hinata, come and say hello to your sister."

Hinata moved forwards and smiled as Hanabi briefly opened her eyes.

"Hello, Hanabi. I'm your neesan, Hinata."

.

Hinata closed the door to her room. Grateful for the privacy seals in the walls, she pulled out a box of food that she had _liberated_ from the kitchens under the pretence of getting a bedtime snack.

"Ruto-kun? Are you here?"

"…yes."

Hinata breathed a sigh of relief and held out the box. "Here, I brought you some food. If you want water, help yourself."

As she spoke, Hinata glanced at the small jug of water on her bedside table and she hid a smile as she saw that the level had already dropped somewhat. A moment later, the box seemed to float out of her hands and into the corner, where it sank until it was only a little above the ground, at almost the same height as it would have been had Hinata balanced it on her lap. The top lifted off and was placed on the floor, then an invisible hand picked up the first onigiri.

"Itadakimasu." Ruto's voice said and then part of the onigiri vanished. Hinata watched almost entranced as the food vanished into an invisible mouth, bite by bite. Soon, the box was empty and it floated back into her hands. Hinata placed it on her desk and then bumped into Ruto, grabbing him to keep her balance.

"Oh, sorry."

"It's okay."

Hinata smiled, then a thought occurred to her. Where was Ruto going to sleep? There was, after all, only one bed in her room.

One bed.

"Ruto, what do you sleep in? Do you have pajamas?"

"No, I wear my boxers."

Hinata nodded and used her hand on his shoulder to lead Ruto to the bed. "You're sleeping here tonight, okay?"

"Sure." Ruto shrugged.

.

Hiruzen stared at the square of fabric that had been placed on his desk.

"What am I supposed to be looking at?"

Chunin Ebisu adjusted his small sunglasses before replying.

"Hokage-sama, I was training when I stepped on this. What caught my attention was that although I could feel it, I couldn't see it. Please, examine this for yourself."

Sarutobi frowned, then carefully reached for the center of the fabric. His questing fingers encountered a length of fabric-wrapped metal and his eyebrows shot up.

"Is this…?"

"A Kunai." Ebisu replied. "As far as I can tell, it is a chakra-conductive Kunai which somehow… is invisible. I cannot explain it."

Hiruzen nodded absently as he closed his eyes and extended his other senses. The way that the Kunai channeled the chakra was familiar… the way that the metal was folded so that the outer surface had none of the ripples of the more common mass-produced Kunai… the tensile strength of the blade… the etching on the inside of the pommel ring…

"This is a Higarushi Special Kunai." Hiruzen finally said, opening his eyes again to look at how his hand appeared to be empty even though he was gripping the handle firmly. Holding out his hand, he placed the Kunai in Ebisu's hand. "I know that you are very well-read, see if you can decode the etchings."

Ebisu blinked, then carefully ran his fingers round the inside of the ring.

"8… 16… 3… I have a Kunai from the same batch as this one! But that means…"

"That someone has managed to create a process that turns things invisible, but lost the Kunai that it was used on." Hiruzen replied soberly. "Take the Kunai to Higarushi tomorrow and let him examine it, since he made it, he may be able to work out what was done to change it."

"As you command, Hokage-sama." Ebisu bowed, then he vanished in a _shunshin_.

.

"Hinata-sama? Are you awake?" a voice called in through the door. "You asked to be woken early today."

Hinata opened her eyes and yawned with a smile, pausing as she realised that her arm was trapped under Yurei's body.

"I'm awake, give me a minute!" She called out, pulling gently to extract her arm without waking her saviour up. Her efforts proved unecessary when Ruto sat up and yawned.

"Good morning." Hinata whispered, praying that Ruto would take the hint and keep quiet. Her prayers were answered when Ruto hugged her and whispered "Good morning, Hina-sama."

"You can call me Hina-chan, Ruto-san." Hinata whispered back, returning his hug, then she released him and moved to her wardrobe, pulling out a towel.

"Ruto," She whispered, "You need to wash too and the bath-house is normally deserted at this time. If you leave your clothes in the corner so you can find them afterwards… it'll be quiet later and you can wash your clothes then."

A rustling of fabric was her answer and Hinata blushed at the thought that Ruto was naked.

"Come on." She whispered as Ruto took her hand and she shifted his grasp to her shoulder as she opened her door.

.

Hinata shrugged off her sleeping robe and hung it on one of the hooks, trying not to blush as she stripped in front of Ruto. Walking to the corner washing cubicle, she filled a bowl and pulled out a stool.

"Sit down and I'll wash your back."

"Okay."

Hinata picked up the soap and a flannel, using them to lather her hands, then she reached out cautiously and her questing fingers encountered Ruto's head.

"Close your eyes."

"They're always closed." Ruto retorted with amusement. "I can see through my eyelids."

Hinata's eyebrows shot up as she thought about it for a moment, then shaking her head, she poured some water over Ruto and started to rub the soapy lather into his hair. Within seconds, she heard Ruto inhale sharply as her fingers caught in a knot and she used the distribution of the suds to see where the hair was tangled, easing it loose. Soon, the hair was clean and Hinata poured the basin of warm water over Ruto, only to pause in shock.

She had expected to see a shape as the water clung to his skin, but instead the water was turning invisible too as it flowed over him. Curious, Hinata brushed her hand across his back and it came away wet with the invisible water slowly fading back into view. Shrugging, she lathered her hands again and started to wash Ruto's back, her hands gliding over his protruding ribs as she scrubbed his back and flanks while he used another cloth to wash his front and limbs. After a few moments, she refilled the basin and rinsed the suds off, then she gathered her courage again.

"Will you… wash my back?"

The stool scraped slightly as Ruto stood up and Hinata moved forwards, only to trip over Ruto. As she fell, Ruto grabbed her to try and keep her upright but only succeeded in slowing her fall and landing across her. Hinata's blush intensified as she felt his weight on her, then Ruto was off her and pulling her to her feet. Feeling as if her blush was causing her to overheat, Hinata turned and sat on the stool as the flannel and soap seemed to float into the air and move behind her. A moment later, Ruto poured some water over her as she had done to him, then began working the lather gently into her hair. Hinata closed her eyes and found herself leaning into his ministrations. Too soon her hair was rinsed and Hinata almost sighed before Ruto began washing her back. Once again, he did it the way that she had done to him and Hinata almost fainted from embarrassment as his hands rubbed against her sides.

"Hinata-sama?"

Hinata forced her eyes open and looked blankly at the soap and flannel floating in front of her before she realized what Ruto was trying to tell her. Feeling her blush extend down past her neck, she mumbled her thanks as she took the cloth and began washing herself.

.

"Hinata, can you look after Hanabi for a moment?" Hitomi asked and Hinata nodded as Hitomi placed the carry-basket by Hinata's side, then she glanced at the book that Hinata was holding.

"Reading that story again? I'm sure that Hanabi would love to listen to it as well."

"Yes, kaasan." Hinata smiled back, choosing not to mention that she was reading it aloud to help Ruto learn to read as he had admitted that he only understood a few of the simpler kanji. Giving Ruto an apologetic glance (to which he responded by briefly tightening his one-handed hug), she turned back to the first page of the book which had become extremely popular despite the _other_ series that the author was famous for. Taking a breath, she smiled down at her sister as she started to read.

" _The tale of the utterly gutsy Shunobi.  
_ " _A novel by Jiraiya of Konohagakure, dedicated to Nagato, Yahiko and Konan of Amegakure.  
_ " _May peace one day be enjoyed by all.  
_ " _Chapter One.  
_ " _The journey of a thousand steps begins with but a single pace, but it is the most important since without it, the journey cannot be travelled. Naruto stood outside the entrance to the ninja academy and looked at the building before him…_ "

...

"… _and so Naruto stood proud as his new sensei accepted him as part of the team, his new life as a ninja open before him as he finished taking the first step on his new journey._ " Hinata finished. Placing the bookmark so that she would be able to find the second chapter when she decided to continue reading it, Hinata smiled down at Hanabi, then jumped with an _'eep!'_ as a small round of applause sounded. Looking round, her eyes widened as she saw over a dozen Hyuuga of both the Main and the Branch Houses had settled around her to listen, completely unnoticed by her until that point.

"That was excellent reading, Hinata." Hitomi smiled as she rose from where she was sitting and walked over to kneel by Hanabi's side. "I think your sister really enjoyed listening to you."

"Thank you." Hinata smiled as she slid the book into her bag and picked it up.

"She really is a good reader." One of the other Hyuuga women commented and Hinata's smile widened slightly.

"You are." Ruto whispered into her ear and Hinata blushed at the sincerity of his voice.

Hitomi stood, holding Hanabi in her basket. "Thank you, Hinata. Now, I think it's almost time for dinner."

"Yes, kaasan." Hinata replied, lifting her bag. "I just need to put this away first."

Hitomi nodded and strolled off. Hinata breathed a small sigh of relief, then Naruto whispered in her ear.

"I'll sneak some food from thekitchen and meet you in your room."

"Alright." Hinata whispered back.

.

Ruto's whimpers woke Hinata and she shifted position, cradling his head against her shoulder. After a moment, Ruto woke with a gasp.

"Ruto-kun, what happened?"

"Nightmare." Naruto said quietly. "Bad dreams… memories."

"Tell me." Hinata said, sitting up and shifting Naruto so that he was just beside her, his hand in hers as she hugged him. For a long moment, Naruto remained quiet, then he started to speak.

"Before we met, I had a different name. Uzumaki Naruto…"


	3. Hyuuga Spirit

"Eeeek!"

Hinata sighed as the scream echoed through the mansion. Turning, she watched as the most junior of the three Main Branch Elders ran past in a panic, her face set in a rictus of fear. Hinata sighed, then smiled slightly as she felt a heart-warmingly familiar presence at her shoulder.

"What did she do this time?"

"She was discussing having the Seal applied to you without your father's permission." Naruto whispered into her ear and Hinata's eyebrows shot up.

"So, what did you do to her, Ruto-kun?"

"My ghost trick." Naruto giggled and Hinata hid a smile. Almost the entire clan (apart from Hinata, of course), was convinced that a ghost was haunting the clan, ever since the chief doctor was tripped up by an invisible foot and a vial of powder jumped out of his pocket and rolled to Hiashi's foot. Hiashi had recognized the powder as a subtle poison and under interrogation, the doctor had admitted that he had been under orders to covertly kill Hitomi in order to weaken Hiashi's control of the clan, control that had been reinforced when the ambassador from Kumo had tried to break into Hinata's room and been felled by a mysterious strike to his manhood. Hiashi had used the incident to force Kumo to admit to its plan to acquire the _Byakugan_ and as a result, Kumo's reputation had taken a hit while Konoha's had been boosted.

The doctor had mysteriously died the next day when his Caged Bird Seal was activated by an unknown member of the Main Branch. It was then that the _haunting_ had started and many of the Hyuuga were leaning towards the theory that it was the doctor attempting posthumously to make amends by punishing those who were working against the clan, a theory made slightly more believable by the fact that they couldn't see anything, even using their Byakugan.

Of course, Hinata knew differently.

"She was also about to search your room."

Hinata froze. "My diary…"

"Safe." Naruto whispered and Hinata sagged in relief. Her diary contained drawings of Naruto as based on her tactile explorations of his face, although when she activated her Byakugan, she was starting to be able to see him as a ripple in the air.

Fortunately, no-one else was able to, even Hanabi couldn't see Ruto and he spent almost as much time around her as he did Hinata, discounting the nights when they curled up together to sleep, that was.

"Ruto," Hinata said quietly, "What do we do when I enrol in the Academy? There'll be too many people there, it'll be too crowded…"

"We'll work something out." Naruto whispered back and Hinata smiled again at the optimism in his voice. "Anyway, we still have…"

Ruto's voice stopped as a door was blasted out of its frame, coming to a rest with a groaning figure amidst the wreckage.

"Father!" Hinata screamed, running over to him as several other figures stepped through the now-empty door-frame. The sound of crying attracted her attention and Hinata glared at the Elder who was holding a crying Hanabi, his hands wrapped round her throat.

"Hinata, you _will_ submit to the Caged Bird Seal for the good of the Hyuuga Clan." The Elder ground out. "Once that is done, you will begin training for your marriage and give up your silly dream of becoming a ninja. This is the will of the council."

"And if I don't?" Hinata snarled.

"Then your sister dies."

Hinata gasped, then her eyes narrowed as she saw a Kunai slip from the pocket of the female Elder who was glaring at her.

"No, she lives."

The floating Kunai lunged forwards, stabbing into the small of the Elder's back and he screamed in agony, releasing his hostage who promptly scrambled away from him, gasping for air. The lead Elder collapsed to his knees as the Kunai jerked itself out, then thrust forwards, catching the second of the three Elders in her side. The woman grabbed the Kunai as she fell.

"Stay away from me!"

Hinata gasped, Ruto was visible due to the splashes of blood highlighting him wherever they hit. Beside her, Hiashi inhaled sharply.

"Who _is_ that? My Byakugan can't see him!"

"It's Ruto, he's my friend." Hinata quickly said, becoming aware even as she did so just how monumentally inadequate the explanation was. Nevertheless, Hiashi nodded slowly as he pulled himself to his feet and stepped forwards.

"Koharu, you have tried to undermine me for the last time. You are within range of my divination!"

"And you within mine!" Koharu countered as both men started to strike at each other, their hands moving too fast to be seen as they struck and countered with the skill of decades of practice. For almost a minute they fought as the other two Elders lay on the ground in agony with several Branch members (including Hizashi) applying first aid and tying them up, then Ruto dashed forwards. Seeing the blood-outlined figure approaching, Koharu half-turned to strike him, realising too late that in doing so he had opened himself to Hiashi's attack. An instant later, Hiashi was stood over the paralysed Elder.

"Ruto!"

Hanabi clung to the invisible boy and Hiashi's eyebrows shot up. "Hinata, _what_ is going on?"

"Well," Hinata said slowly, twiddling her fingers and looking at the ground to avoid her father's piercing stare. "When I look after Hanabi-chan, Ruto-kun helps. He often makes her toys seem to move by themselves, like he did with that vial just after Hanabi was born."

Hiashi froze, then looked over to where Naruto was using a strip of fabric torn from one of the fallen Elders to wipe off the blood that had spattered him. A moment later, the blood that remained seemed to fall to the floor.

"What the…?"

"I can't get the blood out, I'll have to throw it away." Naruto said quietly as Hanabi raised her hands and pouted cutely. A moment later, she giggled as Naruto picked her up and held her, her arms wrapped round his neck.

" _That_ … is rather disconcerting." Hiashi admitted, staring at his youngest daughter who seemed to be floating in the air. Hanabi's giggles increased as Naruto shifted her onto his back, then she burst out laughing as he started to run around the courtyard, making it look like she was flying.

"…incredible." Hiashi breathed as Hanabi seemed to slow and Hinata snagged her, pulling her into a hug. Walking over to the bloodstains, he reached down and carefully picked up the invisible jacket.

This is very worn." He mused, running his fingers across it and pausing whenever he encountered a tear or hole.

"Not like I can get new clothes." Naruto said, the shrug somehow obvious in his voice. "All of them are visible, they'll give me away."

Hiashi motioned for his brother to approach.

"Ruto, please go with Hizashi. Brother, give him sandals, trousers… a sleeveless vest, fingerless gloves… and a Happurai so that we can see which way he is looking, then bring him to my study. Hinata, please come with me, we need to talk."

Hinata sighed and handed Hanabi to Hitomi.

"Coming, father."

"Dear, what are you planning?" Hitomi asked and Hiashi smirked.

.

A knock on the door preceded its opening and Hiashi hid a smile as his newest guest walked in, his presence shown by the visible clothes on his invisible body.

"Ah, Yurei Ruto, or should that be Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto?"

Naruto's head snapped round and Hinata looked at the floor.

"Sorry, I… I couldn't… he…"

"It's alright." Naruto said, sliding his arm around Hinata and hugging her. "I've watched him in action before."

Hiashi raised an eyebrow at that. "Indeed? Well, that is not important at this point. Hinata has told me a great deal, including where you have been sleeping."

Naruto froze and Hiashi turned to look out of the window.

"I have no choice according to the traditions of my clan. Hinata, you have been sharing a room with a male not of the clan and even sleeping in the same bed. He has seen you naked and you have shared a bath. Therefore…"

The tension built up as Hiashi slowly turned back, his face expressionless.

"I have no choice… but to congratulate you on your betrothal."

Hinata staggered and only Naruto's supporting arm prevented her from collapsing as the aura of intimidation vanished.

"How… wha… huh?"

Hiashi smirked as Naruto tried to recover from his shock.

"There will be certain conditions, though. You need to be examined to find out if your invisibility is a Kekkai Genkai. If it is, the Hyuuga will support you in starting your own clan, although Hinata will receive the Sleeping Bird seal so that any children inherit _your_ bloodline only. If it isn't a bloodline, you will marry into the Hyuuga clan, although no seals will be required because of how much you have already done for the clan.

"Either way, we will help you retrieve your clan scrolls from the vault underneath the wreckage of your father's house and on behalf of the clan, I ask for permission to learn the _Rasengan_ as it may prove very advantageous to our _Jyuuken_."

"Of… of course." Naruto managed.

"Do you know how to channel Chakra yet?" Hiashi pressed and Naruto nodded.

"Yes, Hinata-cha… _san_ taught me. I can't do the leaf exercise, though…"

Hiashi raised a quizzical eyebrow as Hinata giggled.

"And what happened?"

"Ummm, the first one shredded itself, the second one scrunched into a small ball…"

"No, Ruto-kun." Hinata corrected. "That was the _third_ one, the second one was the one that caught fire."

Hiashi froze for a moment, then turned to his desk and started to rummage through it, soon pulling out a trio of blank pieces of paper.

"These are Chakra Papers, they show the elemental affinities of the user." He said, handing one to Hinata and the second to Naruto. "To use them, you channel a little bit of your chakra through, like this…"

The piece of paper Hiashi was holding seemed to darken slightly, then it crumbled to dust. "As you can see, we Hyuuga are Earth-natured… _what the_ …?"

Hinata looked in shock at the soggy piece of paper in her hand. "Tousan, does this mean…?"

" _Suiton_ … Water natured…" Hiashi breathed. " _Jyuuken_ was created to serve those with earth affinities, your water nature means that one of the other styles will have to be retrieved from the archives… maybe _Juho_ … Naruto-san, if you would?"

Naruto looked down at his paper and channeled a little bit of his chakra into it. The paper seemed to fade to partial transparency even as it split smoothly down its length, then the right piece crinkled into a ball while the left piece caught fire and burned into ashes.

" _Three_ affinities?" Hiashi gaped before pulling himself together. "By Kami! But the fire… it had a blue tinge to it… Wait a minute…"

Hiashi quickly scribbled a note before folding it and handing it to Hinata.

"Take this to Akiko and have her run a _full_ examination of you both." Hiashi said. "As she is the most senior _trusted_ clan medic, it will be very thorough and almost certainly very embarrassing, especially for you, Naruto-san, but it is necessary if we are to know if you are joining our clan or Hinata is joining yours. You may go."

.

"You asked for me to bring the report, Lord Hiashi?"

Hiashi looked up at the grey-haired elderly Hyuuga in the doorway. He nodded and motioned for her to sit opposite him.

"I did, Akiko-san. How did the examinations go?"

Akiko sank to the floor easily, despite her age. "Hinata's examination went without a hitch. I did hers first both to reassure Ruto-san of what was going to happen and so that she could reassure him when it was his turn. Hinata shows no signs of any applied _genjutsu_ , if that was what you were worried about."

"I admit to having had some concern about that." Hiashi admitted.

"No seals, no trace of poison or anything like that." Akiko continued. "She has an incredibly strong water affinity, though, and her earth affinity is… _Jyuuken_ will always be a problem for her, but I'd like to recommend med-nin training. I would be happy to oversee the start of her training in my spare time."

"As long as Hinata agrees, that will not be a problem." Hiashi agreed. "And regarding her potential problems with _Jyuuken_ , I have had the _Juho_ scrolls pulled from the archives. It is a pity that we currently have no Juho practitioners to teach her, though."

Akiko nodded. "Overall, the only thing odd about her is that her chakra is… it is as if something has _changed_ it very slightly, fractionally altering how her _Byakugan_ works. She can _see_ Naruto with it, I cannot explain how. He remains invisible to me, even when I strain my _Byakugan_ to its limits."

"Interesting." Hiashi mused. "Any explanation?"

"Chakra infusion would be my best guess." Akiko shrugged, "Only it's more as if her chakra has changed in response to something else… I can't really explain it."

Hiashi frowned. "Hinata informed me that she often slept using Naruto as if her were a plushie, hugging him. Could it have been _his_ chakra that caused the change?"

"It's… not impossible." Akiko conceded. "In fact, that would explain why her chakra is _slightly_ paler than normal for a Hyuuga. Apart from the… slight lessening of visibility, I don't believe that there'll be any other effects, long- or short-term since it seems to have stabilized."

"And Naruto?"

"Was trickier." Akiko admitted. "I… had to ask Hinata to help collect some of the samples. I took the blood sample, it was quite enlightening to find out how much I rely on my _Byakugan_ for things like that, but as for the rest… I gave them instructions and left them to it for a few minutes. When I returned, Hinata looked like all the blood in her body had flowed into her face."

"And?" Hiashi asked, refusing to rise to the bait.

"Naruto's invisibility seems to be linked to his chakra, which by the way is already above Kage level according to the chakra meter." Akiko said. "The urine and faeces samples started to turn visible after a few hours. Not immediately, but by the time I'd finished running the analysis, I could just about see them. I've put them aside to see how long it takes before they become fully visible. Conversely, his blood is still invisible, even after six hours outside his body. I ran some tests and I am almost certain that it _is_ a Kekkai Genkai. I'll need to run a few more tests to be certain, but I am fairly certain that he will pass his invisibility on to his children. Once he gets old enough to provide a viable semen sample, I'll know for certain beyond any doubt."

Hiashi nodded. "And the genetic comparison?"

"First test I ran." Akiko smirked. "He is, without any doubt at all, the son of Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina. Will he be going by his original name?"

Hiashi shook his head. "No, he has taken the clan-name Yurei and we shall honor his decision. Place him in our records as Yurei Ruto, one of the Favored Of The Clan."

"Of course." Akiko said.

"And now I must tell my eldest daughter that she is going to need to receive the Sleeping Bird Seal." Hiashi said as he rose to his feet. "On the other hand, a clan of allies invisible even to the _Byakugan_ …"

"And almost certainly the _Sharingan_." Akiko interjected.

"…and the _Sharingan_ ," Hiashi acknowledged with a nod, "would be an incredible advantage in the future. It could even rival the famed Akamichi-Nara-Yamanako alliance."

"Clothing could be an issue, though." Akiko noted. "Being naked on a battlefield isn't my idea of a good thing."

Hiashi froze. "I… hadn't considered _that_. It certainly puts a new spin on the phrase _full frontal assault_ … Any ideas?"

"Chakra cloth, maybe." Akiko mused. "Of course, it'll have to be _fully_ reactive, which would be expensive… perhaps he should get a fundoshi made from it to start with, then he can simply shed the clothes he can't turn invisible while keeping his _bits_ tucked away. As he earns more money from missions, he can get new items made for himself."

"Excellent." Hiashi said, then paused as Akiko lifted her hand.

"The problem we _do_ have, though, is his _Bunshin_. If he manages to learn a normal _Bunshin_ , which alone will be incredibly difficult because of his chakra reserves, it'll be invisible, thus useless. We cannot teach him an Earth Clone because of his affinities and no-one in the Clan knows the Smoke Clone or the Lightning Clone. I don't know if there is even such a thing as a Wind Clone. I suggest, therefore, that he is taught the _Kage Bunshin_ as soon as you feel he can handle it. It'll also increase his combat potential immensely."

Hiashi paled as he thought it through. "Kami… Invisibility, Kage level reserves and the _Kage Bunshin_ … he could do more damage in battle than his father ever did!"

"It would give your daughters a legion of invisible guardians, though." Akiko pointed out with a slight upwards twitch of her lips. Hiashi froze for a moment, then nodded.

"True, and that thought is rather reassuring, in a blood-freezingly _terrifying_ sort of way."

.

"Wow." Hinata and Naruto breathed in unison, looking round the main room of the small cottage tucked into the corner of a small courtyard which was visible out of the front window and door. The corner of the room contained a small kitchen while a bedroom with a double bed was visible through a door with the bathroom just beyond it.

"Until such time as you choose to move into your own compound, this shall be your home." Hiashi said as Hanabi laughingly erupted out of the bedroom (where she had been bouncing on the bed) and scurried over to come to a stop in front of Naruto and Hinata. Naruto picked her up and Hinata moved close to support her on the other side.

"Although you are good with children," Hitomi laughed from behind them, "I would quite appreciate _not_ becoming a grandmother until you have both reached the rank of Chunin at least, preferably Jonin. Speaking of which, Hinata, we need to have _The Talk_ at some point. I know you have activated your _Byakugan,_ but you need context for what it lets you see."

Hinata turned bright red at that. " _Mother!_ "

"I will leave you now as I have an appointment I must prepare for." Hiashi said as he turned to the door. "Naruto, please safeguard my daughter."

"Sir, I would die before letting her get hurt." Naruto said as firmly as he could and Hiashi nodded, showing his respect for Naruto's claim.

"I know."

.

"Hyuuga-san."

"Lord Hokage." Hiashi replied as he entered the office.

"Your message said that you had something of great importance to deal with."

Hiashi nodded and briefly activated his _Byakugan_. "I do, if you could ask your four ANBU to leave…"

" _Four_?" Hiruzen interrupted, "I only have… where are they?"

"Ceiling, sofa, bookcase and hatstand." Hiashi said slowly, then he ducked as a triple barrage of kunai converged on the last location. The hatstand seemed to ripple and a black-clad figure with a plain white mask leapt towards the window, only for Hiashi to deliver a pair of Jyuuken strikes to its legs even as Hiruzen unsealed a Bo staff and lunged forwards with a strike that shattered the figure's left shoulder and pinned it against the wall.

"Take him to Ibiki." Hiruzen ground out and the three true ANBU appeared, grabbed the rogue ninja and vanished in a _Shunshin_. "Anyone else?"

Hiashi re-activated his _Byakugan_ and looked around.

"The closest person to us is your secretary, Lord Hokage. If you could please activate your privacy jutsu?"

Hiruzen nodded slowly, then his hand reached out to touch a small seal set into his desk. The walls seemed to flash as the Fuinjutsu activated.

"So, Hiashi, what is so important?"

"Only that I have located the son of the Yondaime," Hiashi smirked, enjoying the gobsmacked expression on Hiruzen's face. "And I wish for him to enter the Academy as a ward of the Hyuuga."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I gave Naruto two more elemental affinities. The Raiton is from the lightning bolt that hit him and the Katon is from Kyuubi/Kurama's shocked attempt to save his life by adjusting his chakra to compensate for the lightning.  
> The two martial arts styles I selected for Naruto do exist in the real world. I figured that since they were two totally different styles, opponents who saw him use one would be unprepared for the other.
> 
> Oh, Hizashi is still around. You may have missed the sentence that showed that Naruto took down the envoy trying to kidnap Hinata by hitting him in the unmentionables. If you did miss it, then pay more attention next time! (grin)  
> Also, the Byuakugan can see through almost anything, which may be why the Hyuuga wear such simple clothing. Their eyes mean that they can always see below the surface...


	4. Learning Spirit

It was the final two figures who filed into the classroom that caught Iruka's attention. One of them was pale-skinned and dark-haired, looked round nervously and yet he could catch a glimpse of the steel that was underneath the silken glove. The other…  
...he didn't even know what gender it was!

It almost hovered by the shoulder of the first one (who was obviously a Hyuuga, based on her eyes), but not a single square inch of skin showed. It wore dark grey loose trousers with solid boots (as opposed to the normal ninja sandals) while its upper half was concealed by a pale thigh-length hooded jacket, a dark high-necked top underneath, a white mask without any discernible features and black gauntlets covering its hands.

Not an inch of skin or a single strand of hair was revealed by the loose, flowing clothes.

The mismatched duo walked to adjoining chairs with the cloaked figure continuing to hover at her shoulder, then it saw her properly seated before it took its own place… between her and the rest of the room. During this, the others in the room had gone silent, watching with wide eyes.

"All right." Iruka managed as he accepted the student list from Mizuki. "My name is Umino Iruka, this is Mizuki, my assistant instructor. When I call your name, stand up and introduce yourself to your classmates. Mizuki and I will go first to show you how it is done. My name is Umino Iruka, I like studying and teaching, I dislike those who abandon things before they are completed and my dream for the future is to get you all to be the best ninja that you can be."

"I am Mizuki, as Iruka said." Mizuki grinned, sweeping his silver hair back. "My likes are practicing with my fuuma shuriken and learning new tricks, my dislikes are those who don't pay attention and my dream for the future is to become a Jonin and get to lead a team of my own."

"Now that you know how it is done, we can begin properly." Iruka said, glancing at the list. "Aburame."

In one corner, a figure almost as well-wrapped as the one sitting next the Hyuuga girl stood up, adjusting his sunglasses. "My name is Aburame Shino, my likes are collecting and breeding bugs. My dislikes are those who kill bugs. My dream is to prove myself able to lead my clan."

Iruka nodded as Shino sat down. "Akimichi."

Several of the students had to hide their sniggers as the fat boy stood up since the bandanna he was wearing made it look like he was wearing a pair of underpants on his head. "I am Akimichi Choji, my likes are my friend Shikamaru and my food, my dislikes are those who call me _fat_ , I'm just big-boned, and my dream for the future is to master all my clan's jutsu."

"I'm really nervous." Hinata whispered and Naruto looked at her through his mask which had been carefully made with special seals that caused it to be transparent from the inside, just like the masks used by the ANBU.

"You'll do fine." He whispered, giving her a brief one-armed hug. Hinata buried her face in the junction of his shoulder and neck, then sighed as they heard her clan-name. "Knock them dead, Hinata-Hime."

Hinata nodded and stood up, taking a deep breath. "I am honored to meet you all, my name is Hyuuga Hinata, I like flower pressing and Ruto-kun… I dislike those who hate for no reason and I hope… I hope to become… a good kunoichi."

Blushing, Hinata sat down, her hand almost subconsciously finding Naruto's as the next name was called and a feral-looking boy stood up.

"You were brilliant." Naruto whispered and Hinata nodded, looking down at the desk.

"Th… thank-you…"

"Hey," Naruto whispered, his voice bubbling with laughter. "Why the stutter? You've been kicking me around the training field for the last few weeks, remember?"

Hinata's blush intensified, but she pulled her head back up, sitting proud as a blond girl stood up.

"My name is Yamanaka Ino, I like flowers and gossip, I hate those who make fun of my name and my dream is to become a kunoichi."

Ino sat down and everyone's attention turned to the last student on the list.

"Yurei." Iruka read and Naruto rose, minimizing his movements so as to look as mysterious as possible. Beside him, Hinata tried not to smile at his dramatizing.

"My name is Yurei Ruto." Naruto proclaimed in a voice that showed even less emotion than Shino. "I live for the one who returned me to life, Hyuuga Hinata. I will destroy any who try to harm her or her loved ones. Only she of all here may gaze upon my uncovered form, hence my robes. My dream is to be worthy of her."

Naruto sat back down, grinning at the intense silence that had settled on the entire classroom, then Mizuki spoke nervously.

"Returned him to…"

"When I found him, he had no-one." Hinata shrugged as she reminisced. "I just helped him to find something to live for."

"He seems… quite devoted." Iruka managed and Hinata turned slightly to give Naruto a soft smile.

"I saw him take down two of the Elders to save me and my sister."

Iruka and Mizuki both stared in shock at the cloaked boy. To even survive against one Hyuuga Elder (a position which demanded the rank of _at least_ Special Jonin) was no easy feat. To not only face off against but to take down _two_ was regarded as something that only the Hokage in his prime could have achieved.

"Ask my father, if you want." Hinata added with a wide smile.

.

"How do you eat like that?"

Hinata and Naruto exchanged glances even as Naruto used the low-level genjutsu he'd learned from several Hyuuga ANBU to make it seem as if his mask was still in place as he quickly lifted it up and took another bite of food. Ino growled as she stalked towards the bench the pair were sitting on.

"You just ate that _straight through the mask_! How?!"

Hinata giggled as Naruto took another bite, making it look like the chopsticks had passed their burden straight through the mask, then a small twitch caused the mask to drop back down as Ino reached out.

"That mask is solid!" She half-shrieked, her fingers stroking and tapping the mask as she tried to find out the secret behind it. " _How_ do you do that?"

"Practice." Naruto deadpanned, earning a fuming glare from the blond girl.

"And what sort of ninja _are_ you?" Ino continued.

"Stealth and assassination." Naruto said, preparing to move, and Ino snorted.

"Yeah, as if _you_ could do that in _those_ … hey, where'd you go?"

Hinata sighed as a pile of fabric pressed against the back of her feet. Naruto had trained almost solidly for weeks to reach the point that he could disrobe in less than two seconds and fully re-clothe himself within seven.

"Where is… _eeep_!"

Ino spun round, one hand clamped over where Naruto had smacked her lightly, then an invisible hand flipped her ponytail over her head. Ino spun around again, trying to find her unseen assailant only to collapse onto all fours as Naruto poked her knees from behind, then he spanked her again as she fell. As she struggled to stand up, Naruto returned to his place by Hinata's side, fully cloaked once again.

"H… how… did you…" Ino managed and Naruto lowered his head to take another bite of food.

"Troublesome." A voice said from one side and Naruto half-turned to see a pineapple-haired boy and his larger friend staring at them. "I couldn't follow you, but I _know_ that it wasn't a simple case of speed."

"Shut it, Shika!" Ino almost howled, stalking over to the reclining boy. "Shut up and tell me how he did that!"

Shikamaru stared at her for a long moment.

"Well?"

"Which should I do? Shut up or tell you?"

Ino fumed as several of the others laughed at her, then she stormed off.

"Troublesome girl." Shikamaru sighed, his eyes carefully watching and evaluating the cloaked boy from under heavy eyelids.

.

"Hello, Hanabi." Hinata smiled as her younger sister ran up to her. "Did you have a good time?"

"Yep." Hanabi laughed, then she turned to Naruto. "Flying!"

"Give me a minute." Naruto laughed and Hinata shook her head as she held out her arms.

"I'll take them to our room." She laughingly sighed as Naruto quickly shed his visible clothing. Pausing just long enough to kiss Hinata on her cheek, thus making her blush furiously, Naruto took Hanabi's hands and swung her onto his back, leaning forwards to make it seem to anyone watching that she was hovering horizontally, her arms stretched out in front of her with the fabric crinkling at the wrists being the only thing showing where Naruto was holding her.

"Ten minutes, then we have some homework and training to do." Hinata smiled.

"I know, Hinata-Hime." Naruto laughed. "You ready, Hanabi-chan?"

"Yep, flying!" Hanabi chirped, then she started squealing with joy and Naruto bounded forwards, carrying her along the path at high speed. "Faster! Faster! Wahooo!"

"That is _still_ rather disconcerting." Hiashi said from behind her and Hinata had to fumble frantically to avoid dropping the clothes she was holding. "How is it that only you can see him with your _Byakugan_? He is still invisible to the rest of us."

"I don't know." Hinata replied, trying to re-seat the bundle of fabric.

"How well can you see him?" Hiashi inquired as he paced by Hinata's side.

"I can _see_ him almost like he's a glass figure." Hinata admitted with a slight shrug. "I still can't make out all of his features, but I can tell where he is as long as he's moving slightly. When he holds still, I still find it very hard to find him if I don't know where he is."

"Waaaaaahhhhhoooooo!" Hanabi cried as she zoomed past them. "Faster! Faster, nii-san!"

For a moment, the two Hyuugas stared at the young girl as she vanished round the corner, then Hinata giggled. Hiashi looked down at her, then shook his head, a small smile playing on his own lips.

"May I assume that you will both be coming to join me for dinner?"

"We would be honored to." Hinata quickly replied.

"Excellent." Hiashi said as they reached the split in the path. "Then I will send a Branch member to summon you. Since there is some business to discuss, I would suggest semi-formal."

"Yes, tousan."

.

Hiashi fought down a sigh as his guest entered through the main gate. The man was almost the complete antithesis of the Hyuuga, where the Hyuuga were restrained, he was exuberant. Where the Hyuuga were known for their emotional control, he was almost _hyper_ -emotional. Where the Hyuuga wore dignified robes and clothing of the finest fabrics, he wore bright green spandex. The only things that he and the Hyuuga had in common were their almost fanatical loyalty to Konoha, their renowned skills in taijutsu and the color of their hair (although no Hyuuga would _ever_ be seen with _that_ hair style).

"Maito-san, I thank you for coming."

"It was no problem, Hyuuga-Dono." Gai grinned and Hiashi almost blinked as Gai's _teeth_ glinted. "May I ask why you called upon my expertise?"

"You may." Hiashi admitted, motioning for the taijitsu specialist to walk beside him. "But before we do so, I must ask that everything you see or learn here be held in confidence from those who do not already know."

"I understand, Hyuuga-Dono, and I will keep all your secrets safe!" Gai declaimed, causing a few of the other Hyuuga traversing the courtyard to stare at him before hurrying on their way.

"Excellent." Hiashi replied, fighting down the urge to facepalm at Gai's enthusiasm. "I have need of your skills as Konoha's premier taijutsu specialist."

"Ah, the _Jyuuken_." Gai said, suddenly turning serious. "Although I admit that it is indeed a truly formidable style, it does have quite a few weaknesses in the field."

Hiashi almost froze for a moment. The _Jyuuken_ was the result of several centuries of development and adaptation to maximize the use of the _Byakugan_ in close-quarters combat! What possible weaknesses could it have?

"The _Jyuuken_ is rather weak against ranged attacks and elemental jutsu." Gai said just loud enough for Hiashi to hear him. "Although the base stance is solid, it does not aid greatly in evasion maneuvers as opposed to blocking or countering while the high level of reliance on the _Byakugan_ means that a technique as simple as a chakra flare would seriously degrade its efficiency."

Hiashi's eyes widened. A _chakra flare_? Such a technique was completely useless…  
… _except_ against those with a _Dojutsu_. Such a simple technique, it was a miracle that such a move hadn't been used against them yet.

"I see that there is far more I need to talk to you about than I thought." Hiashi admitted, causing Gai to look at him curiously. "The original reason I asked for your aid is because the Hyuuga will eventually be sponsoring the formation of a new clan which has a _Kekkai Genkai_ that renders both the _Byakugan_ and the _Sharingan_ almost useless. My daughter's fiancee needs to be trained in two forms of taijutsu, one for when he is cloaked and one for when he is relying on his bloodlimit."

"And what would this _Kekkai Genkai_ of his be, Hyuuga-Dono?"

"You will see for yourself in a moment." Hiashi said with a slight upwards twitch of his lips as they came to a stop outside the Dining Hall. The door slid open and Gai followed Hiashi in, only to freeze at the sight before him.

"What in Kami's name…?"

"Jonin Maito Gai, allow me to introduce you to Yurei Ruto, currently the only known wielder of the _Toton_ bloodlimit."

Gai stared at Naruto who waved back at him, an action only visible due to the half-gloves he was wearing. After several minutes, he inhaled sharply and shook his head.

"Lord Hiashi, this has to be the most potentially terrifying _Kekkai Genkai_ that I have ever encountered."

"Why do you think the Hyuuga Clan has promised to sign an Eternal Pact with the Yurei Clan once it is established?" Hiashi shot back. Gai stared at him, then back at Naruto.

"May I…?"

Hiashi nodded and Gai walked over to Naruto.

"Please, stand and stretch your arms out."

Naruto turned his head to face Hinata, who simply shrugged, then he rose to his feet. Gai carefully ran his hands along Naruto's arms, then crouched and examined his legs. Standing up again, he carefully felt Naruto's neck, then held out a hand.

"Make a fist and push against my hand as hard as you can. Right first, then left."

With another shrug, Naruto followed the instructions, then Gai stepped back and looked him up and down.

"I will need to spar against him briefly to get a true feel for the style best suited for him," Gai said to Hiashi, "But I think I have several ideas. I assume that he will go fully covered under normal circumstances, so for when he is cloaked, I would recommend the style the _Jyuuken_ is derived from."

"Baguazhang." Hiashi nodded. "Yes, we have the scrolls for that style in our archives, several of its katas are almost identical to the basic _Jyuuken_ katas, we can teach that. In fact, if I am not mistaken, I think he is already training in it. And for when he has shed his clothing?"

"Xingyiquan would be the most logical choice." Gai mused, ignoring Hinata's embarrassed blush. "Since he would have no trouble moving close, the linear attacks it is based around would be highly effective."

"I do not know that style and I do not know of anyone in the Clan who does." Hiashi unwillingly admitted. "Are you willing to teach it?"

"Of course!" Gai smiled, taking a thumb's-up pose. "I would be honoured to have this most youthful boy as my student!"

"He is attending the Academy." Hiashi noted and Gai nodded.

"I understand. When it is time for his lessons, should I pick him up from the Academy?"

Hiashi paused, then he slowly nodded. "If you are willing to escort my daughter and nephew at the same time, yes."

"Of course." Gai grinned as Hiashi moved to the end of the table and sat down. "I would be honored to."

.

"Maito Gai seems very… enthusiastic." Naruto said as he poured the water over Hinata's head and started to apply the shampoo. Hinata sighed in pleasure at the feel of his fingers massaging her scalp, separating each strand of hair as they did so.

"He _is_ a renowned Jonin." She replied after a moment. "He is known as _the_ taijutsu expert of Konoha, to the point that he rarely uses ninjutsu, kenjutsu or any other discipline."

"A true specialist." Naruto realised. "And the rival he mentioned?" "Hatake Kakashi." Hinata said. "The _Copycat Ninja_ who knows over a thousand jutsu. He studied under your father."

"I'll have to meet him at some point." Naruto mused as he poured more water over Hinata's head to wash out the soapy suds. Picking up the soap, he lathered his hands and began rubbing her back and shoulders. "I wonder if he would be willing to teach us?"

"Us?" Hinata asked, activating her _Byakugan_ and half-turning to look at him. Naruto smiled back at her.

"Hinata-chan, do you _really_ think I would leave you behind?"

Ignoring her unclad state, Hinata spun round and grabbed Naruto, hugging him tightly and burying her face into the crook of his neck. For a moment, neither moved, then Naruto gently pushed Hinata back onto the small stool and resumed washing her back.

"So." Hinata managed after a short while. "What do you think about our classmates?"

"Most of them are all right." Naruto admitted. "The other girls are rather loud and they seem overly worshipful of Sasuke."

Hinata shrugged. "I think he's just sulking about how his older brother keeps outdoing him. At least he smiles enough that he isn't a _total_ emo."

"True." Naruto admitted as he washed away the suds. "My turn."

Hinata rose and let Naruto sit down as she refilled the bucket.

"I would say _close your eyes_ , but you always have them closed anyway." She joked and Naruto laughed.

"True, my _Hime_. In fact… glub brlurgh…"

"You may want to keep your mouth closed when I do that." Hinata giggled, putting down the empty bucket and picking up the bottle of shampoo. "Now, hold still…"


	5. Contemplative Spirit

"I shall train harder to beat you, my eternal rival!"

Maito Gai paused as the voice sounded, then he turned to find a wide-eyed youth standing there, a black-haired boy clad in black shinobi trousers, a dark brown wrap-around shirt and sandals. As he turned, his long pony-tail briefly came into view.

"Ignore him." Neji sighed, walking past behind his cousin. "He's not important."

"I am Rock Lee!" The boy shouted. "Remember the name, for I shall prove myself to be a true ninja using only taijutsu!"

Gai blinked, then walked over to the boy. "An interesting goal, but why only taijutsu?"

Lee seemed to shrink as he looked at the ground. "I cannot channel chakra to perform jutsus, so ninjutsu and genjutsu is forever denied to me. _But I shall never give up_!"

Gai grinned. "An admirable attitude, your flames of youth burn brightly! I am Maito Gai, Konoha's Green Beast and the premiere taijutsu master of Konohagakure!"

Lee looked as if Kami had granted him his fondest wish.

"Will… will you train me?"

"You will need to train hard and constantly." Gai warned, then his smile widened. "But with your attitude and physique, I believe that you may be suitable to learn the _Goken_!"

"The Strong Fist…" Lee breathed. "Yosh! I shall train constantly to prove myself worthy!"

"Then meet me here after the Academy finishes tomorrow and I shall start your instruction!" Gai grinned, a grin that was matched by Lee even as Neji sighed.

"Umm, may I suggest Kenjutsu as well?" Hinata said quietly, causing all the males to look at her. "Just focusing on Taijutsu will limit his range, like _Jyuuken_ does to the Hyuuga even with your input, Gai-sensei. Adding a sword will increase his range, and if he combines it with Taijutsu…"

Gai frowned in thought, then nodded slowly. "An excellent suggestion, Hinata-san. I know a couple of excellent Kenjutsu specialists who may be willing to teach. I will approach them about this. Ruto-san, I must speak with your guardian, I believe that Lee-san may become a good sparring partner for you!"

"Then I shall train until we meet tomorrow!" Lee shouted before running off. "Yosh!"

For a moment, Hinata, Neji and Naruto stood stock-still, then Naruto broke the silence.

"What just happened?"

.

"How was the Academy today?" Nara Shikaku queried as his son slouched through the door.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru grumbled. "That Yurei boy… I can't understand him. He's hiding a _lot_ and I haven't figured it out yet. It's been _six_ months, I managed to figure everyone else out within one, but Ruto…"

"Oh?" Shikaku asked even as he waved for his son to sit on the other side of the Shogi board. "I overheard a rumor that he has an unusual _Kekkai Genkai_. Do you know what it is?"

Shikamaru paused with his hand hovering over one of the Shogi tiles. "He really does have a bloodlimit? That is… interesting. I wonder what it could be…"

"A _Dojutsu_ , maybe?" Shikaku suggested as he moved one of his pawns forwards to clear the way for his bishop. Shikamaru shook his head.

"From the little bits of information I have managed to obtain, I think it's more a body-type. He can vanish without trace and reappear but it isn't speed. He doesn't displace enough dust for that and Ino's clothes didn't get caught in a wave of displaced air the first time he did it to her."

"A Jutsu?"

Again Shikamaru indicated his disagreement even as he moved a pawn forwards. "I have heard of invisibility Jutsus, but to use one in the first year of the Academy? And with the level of perfection that the incident indicated? Very unlikely."

Shikaku moved one of his Gold Generals, then looked at his son. "So, do you have a theory?"

"Yes, but it's hard to believe." Shikamaru said, moving another pawn forwards. "The only thing that fits all the observed facts and which explain his robes and mask is _natural_ invisibility. Yet I have never heard of a clan with that _Kekkai Genkai_ and if it existed, it would be renowned and feared by all."

"You said that he was of the Yurei clan…?"

"Yurei Ruto, although I've heard him being called _Na_ ruto a time or two by Hyuuga Hinata when they thought they were alone together." Shikamaru confirmed, concentrating on the board and thus missing the expression of shock on his father's face. "He seems very attached to Hyuuga Hinata, acts like her bodyguard."

"Are you _certain_ of that name?" Shikaku demanded and Shikamaru froze, then looked up in confusion.

"Yes, Naruto. Why?"

"…Naruto." Shikaku whispered to himself. "Could it possibly be… is the Yondaime's son still…"

"Father?"

Shikaku shook his head and refocused on the board. "Just… thinking to myself."

Shikamaru gave him a questioning look, then looked down at the Shogi board.

"Troublesome…"

.

"Pardon?"

"You heard me." Shikamaru said. "You are possibly the brightest student I know here and I could use your help."

"On what?" Haruno Sakura asked, folding her arms over her chest.

"Yurei Ruto." Shikamaru stated. "What do we know about him?"

"He's creepy, totally devoted to Hinata, has tons of stamina and… and…" Sakura paused, her face reflecting her confusion. "That's it! We don't know _anything_ at all about him!"

"My father says he has a _Kekkai Genkai_ and may be related to the Yondaime." Shikamaru provided and Sakura blinked.

"But… the Yondaime was an orphan who… Dammit, I _know_ that I know this… Aha! Who married Uzumaki Kushina and they had a son, Uzumaki Naruto!"

"What was that name again?" Shikamaru snapped and Sakura blinked at his sudden intensity.

"Uzumaki… Naruto… na… ruto… wait, does that mean…? Naruto is a popular name, but only for the younger children, not those our age."

"It is not impossible…" Shikamaru mused. "They are about the same age and Yurei Ruto only appeared just before he entered the Academy… but why would he be totally concealed? No-one would have known who he was unless he truly resembled one of his parents and even then, a pair of sunglasses and a bandanna would more than suffice…

"Unless something happened to him." Shikamaru finished slowly. "I didn't pay attention to the report…"

"He was hit by lightning while spying on a genin." Sakura supplied. "The bolt totally vaporized him, no remains were ever found."

"There must be more than that to the story." Shikamaru fumed. "Wait, spying on a genin… what was the genin doing?"

"I… don't know. Why?"

"It could be important." Shikamaru said, then he sighed. "Full-body burns from a lightning bolt. _That_ would explain the need for all-concealing clothing. It would also explain the length of time he was missing for, he would have needed to heal and the Hyuuga Clan were known to be supporters of the Yondaime… Hinata was probably one of those who helped him to recover. That's why he said she was his reason to live and why they seem so attached to each other, she was probably his primary carer. Not certain about his _Kekkai Genkai_ though. Perhaps it lets him turn invisible for short periods of time?"

"Which would explain how he humiliated Ino the first time he showed off!" Sakura finished. "He activated his invisibility and used it to keep flipping her hair and spanking her before returning to Hinata's side!"

"It makes sense." Shikamaru nodded. "Of course, we can't tell anyone other than the Hokage about this. If Iwa finds out that the son of their greatest enemy is still alive…"

"Kumo tried to kidnap his mother, they'd be a threat as well." Sakura added. "I agree. Let's keep this quiet."

"We need to confirm our theory with the Hokage." Shikamaru decided. "I'll persuade father to get us an audience with him, even though it will probably be quite troublesome."

.

"…That is quite a theory." Hiruzen said after Skikamaru and Sakura finished explaining their theory. "From where you started and with the information you possessed, it is quite incredible how accurate your conclusions are."

Shikamaru nodded in satisfaction and glanced at the other two adults in the room. His father was looking proud while the other man, Hyuuga Hiashi, was frowning slightly.

"You realize that all of this is classified as an S-rank secret?" Hiruzen added and Sakura nodded almost frantically.

"That's why Shikamaru and I agreed that we'd only discuss it with you, Hokage-Dono."

"And have you told your mother?"

"No, Lord Hokage." Sakura said quickly. "She hated Naruto, she claimed that he was a Demon. She still has the spiral scar."

Hiruzen blinked a couple of times at that, then his eyes widened in recognition.

"Ahhhhh, I see. So if she found out that Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto was still alive…"

"Then she'd try to kill him." Sakura finished. "Or have him killed. Especially since she lost out to Uzumaki Kushina."

Hiruzen blinked again and Sakura sighed.

"My mother had a major crush on the Yondaime when she was younger, but she failed to get him for herself. She still holds the grudge."

"I see." Hiruzen finally managed. "As it happens, I already knew all of this, but I am very impressed that you two managed to work out as much as you have done."

"Am I correct in assuming that we should not change our actions towards Ruto and Hinata?" Shikamaru asked and Hiruzen nodded.

"Immediately, yes. Should you wish to befriend them, do it slowly so that no-one suspects anything other than normal growing up."

"Sure." Shikamaru shrugged. "Not that it really matters to me, I'm not going to be on their team, after all."

"Oh?" Shikaku asked and Shikamaru smirked.

" _Eight_ clan heirs _and_ the daughter of a Council member in one class? I'll be teamed up with Ino and Choji due to family tradition and the alliance between our clans. Hinata and Ruto are currently claiming the top two spots, so I bet they'll be teamed up with Kiba since he's lagging behind so much, he really hates the written portions, and that leaves…"

"YES!" Sakura yelled before blushing. "Ummm, sorry."

"Yes, Sakura will probably be teamed up with Sasuke and Shino." Shikamaru finished. "Sakura, Sasuke _hates_ fangirls, it's something his brother taught him."

Sakura froze.

"You really should train more, although you do have another three years to improve." Shikamaru added. "Historically, the Uchiha prefer strong women. According to Ino, Itachi is dating Inuzuka Hana."

"I thought gossip was too _troublesome_ for you." Sakura teased and Shikamaru sighed.

"Due to the links between our clans and the fact that our fathers were on the same genin team, I have to put up with that troublesome blond at least once a week. It's a real drag."

Shikaku snorted with hastily-concealed humor as Shikamaru gave him a flat look.

"Your ability to uncover secrets has been noted and now that you do know, your ability to _keep_ secrets will be tested. That goes for you in particular, Sakura. You must _not_ tell your mother about this, she does not need to know" Hiruzen said. "You are dismissed."

Shikaku led the two youngsters out of the office and Hiruzen and Hiashi exchanged glances after they were gone.

"Lightning burns." Hiashi finally said. "That boy certainly has some interesting ideas."

"But he unknowingly created a _very_ good cover story." Hiruzen shot back. "One which you may wish to use."

Hiashi nodded. "I agree. I will have Naruto and my daughters learn their new cover story once I return to the compound."

"Of course." Hiruzen nodded, giving Hiashi tacit permission to depart.

.

As Hiashi exited the tower, his attention was drawn to the slouching figure waiting for him.

"Shikaku."

"Hiashi." The Nara patriarch nodded back, straightening slightly and moving to Hiashi's side.

"Is there a problem?"

Shikaku shook his head slightly. "No. Has Ruto claimed his inheritance?"

"We have the scrolls in the archives and Ruto is already working on his basic fuuinjutsu." Hiashi replied, briefly activating his _Byakugan_ to ensure that they weren't being overheard.

"And his invisibility is indeed a _Kekkai Genkai_?"

"We were able to confirm it recently beyond any doubt." Hiashi said, carefully not letting Shikaku see his expression. "It is indeed a _Kekkai Genkai_ and his children will inherit it."

"To confirm it like that means that you must have taken a sample from…" Shikaku started, then he stopped talking and coughed. "Ah. Yes, I see. May I ask if he is starting a new branch of the Hyuuga clan?"

"No." Hiashi said, inwardly thankful for the conversational save. "It is our hope that he can become the founder of a new clan."

"You will need help for that." Shikaku mused. "Since he will be the only member, that takes seven other clans to support the process."

"He is engaged to Hinata." Hiashi interjected and Shikaku raised an eyebrow.

"Then since he is to be married to a Clan Member who has agreed to leave her clan, that cuts it down to needing the support of four clans. Due to who his father was, you may count on my support when the time comes."

"And with your support comes that of Choza and Inoichi." Hiashi nodded. "Thank you."

"However," Shikaku said, causing Hiashi to glance at him, "We _will_ need to start laying the groundwork so that it seems like a natural extension of the alliance between our clans. As such, may I suggest that Hinata and Ruto visit occasionally, maybe in your company as you ' _seek closer relations with other clans for the good of Konoha_ ', maybe?"

"A valid reason for doing so." Hiashi said after several thoughtful moments. "Although we both know that it is unlikely that Hinata and Ruto will be on the same team as your son."

"Doesn't mean that they shouldn't learn at least a few things about each other." Shikaku shrugged. "After all, they will probably have to work alongside each other in the future. By the way…"

Hiashi glanced at Shikaku.

"About Ruto, did he _really_ suffer full-body burns, or is there another reason he is cloaked? Just so I don't accidentally do or say something wrong, you understand."

Hiashi paused for a moment. "Well, it relates to his bloodlimit…"

.

Inoichi stared at his lazy team-mate in shock. "What?"

"You heard me." Shikaku yawned. "Hiashi will be bringing his daughters and his ward Yurei Ruto over to the next gathering at the Nara compound."

"He knows how informal we are, right?" Chouza asked before taking a bite out of the onigiri in his hand.

"He knows." Shikaku sighed.

"And… he's… _okay_ with this?"

"He is." Shikaku muttered.

"Then… why?" Inoichi demanded, completely perplexed.

"Hiashi and I are setting a long-term play into motion, no matter how troublesome it is." Shikaku said. "It will let us repay a debt we owe."

"A… debt? I don't recall us owing the Hyuuga a debt?" Inoichi mused and Shikaku took a sip of his Sake before answering.

"We don't, but it'll let us repay the debt we owe to someone who died for Konoha. I'd tell you more, but I need Hiashi and Hiruzen to give me permission…"

"And asking would be troublesome." Chouza chortled before reverting to a more serious outlook. "You wouldn't be doing this without a proper reason, so… alright. But I expect to find out what it is about at some point."

Inoichi nodded in agreement and Shikaku sighed.

"Alright. I'll make sure you get enough warning. Oh, Hiashi's ward has a medical condition that means he needs to remain cloaked…"

Inoichi's eyes suddenly widened and, making sure that Chouza didn't see what he was doing, he held up four fingers. Shikaku nodded and Inoichi whistled.

"Him. Whoah."

Chouza looked at them both suspiciously. "Alright, what did I miss?"

"Having a daughter aiming for the title of _Gossip Queen of Konoha_." Inoichi shot back. "I may not be up to Shikaku's level of intelligence, but I know how to put a few facts together myself."

Chouza looked at them both suspiciously and Inoichi sighed.

"Alright, let's head to the tower and get you into the secret too. You coming, Shika?"

A snore was his answer and Inoichi sighed.

"Lazy bum."

.

Ino stared in shock at her father for a long moment, then her mind seemed to restart.

" _Ruto_ 's coming to the next clan-party? Why? He's creepy!"

Inoichi sighed. "He will be coming with Hiashi-sama, Hitomi-san, Hinata, Hanabi and Neji."

"Hinata's coming?" Ino chirped. "She's okay, she isn't competition."

"For what?" Inoichi asked before he could stop himself and Ino rolled her eyes.

"For _Sasuke-kun_ , of course!" Ino sighed, obviously irritated at the incredible denseness of her father. "I mean, sure, she likes Ruto, which is kind of freaky, but at least she isn't after the hunk of the class..."

Inoichi held back a sigh as his daughter continued to wax lyrical about the many real and imagined attributes of the Uchiha boy. Part of him wondered if he could get Ino romantically interested in Choji instead, the boy was one of the nicest people he knew, after all.

"…and that's why he's the best!" Ino finished triumphantly and Inoichi dragged his attention back to the conversation.

"That's nice, Ino." He murmured, making another note to go over the signs of irrational obsession with her.

Again.

.

"So you've invited Ruto. Hmmm, you're playing a long game." Shikamaru commented as he moved one of his Lances on the board before him.

"The payoff will be worth it." Shikaku replied, placing a piece to counter the incipient assault his son had planned. Shikamaru grunted in irritation at having his ploy foiled so quickly.

"So." Shikaku continued as he watched to see what his son would come up with. "Your analysis?"

Shikamaru moved one of his horses and leaned back slightly. "Risks, minimal. Effort, low to medium, payoff ranging from minimal to maximum depending on various factors. Most obvious factor, can Hiashi Hyuuga cope with one of our gatherings? When the three clans get together, we don't stand on ceremony like they Hyuuga do. If he can't, it could destroy the alliance before it can settle."

"I've already talked to Hiashi about it."

Shikamaru nodded, looking over the board in an attempt to divine his father's strategy. "I assume that you are both trying to make this alliance work?"

Shikaku nodded as Shikamaru moved his silver general.

"Nice move. Yes, we can both see the goal we are working towards."

Shikamaru nodded, then scowled as his father dropped a lance onto the board in just the right place to threaten his defense.

.

"Hinata and Ruto are coming?" Choji repeated, looking at his father. "That's good, I like them. They don't make fun of me like some of the others do. Hinata really likes cinnamon rolls and Ruto loves Ramen. He eats at Ichiraku's at least once a week."

Chouza nodded, making a mental note to consider hiring Teuchi and his daughter to help with the food preparation for a future gathering if Ruto became a regular guest.

"Anything else I should know?"

Choji frowned in thought for several moments, then he shook his head. "Only that he somehow eats through his mask. Ino almost went mad trying to work that one out."

Chouza snorted in amusement. "Sounds like an Jonin trick. I think it was invented by Hatake Kakashi, he always wears a mask and uses a genjutsu to hide when he drops it."

"When Ino touched it, it was solid."

Chouza raised his eyebrows at that. "Really? Sounds like a proper ANBU trick,they perch their masks on their foreheads ready to drop with a slight twitch. It's hidden by the genjitsu."

"Hm." Choji mused. "I wonder if Ino has found out about that trick yet?"

"Will you tell her?"

Choji shook his head. "Nah, it's fun watching her get all worked up. Providing she isn't getting worked up at me, that is. I'm just surprised one of her relatives hasn't told her about it."


	6. Spirit Of Progress

"They're here!"

Ino's shouted declaration sliced through the thrum of conversation and the three heads of clans promptly excused themselves from their respective conversations and walked (or in one case, ambled lazily) across to greet the new arrivals.

"Lord Hiashi…" Inoichi started and then he paused, staring at the dark-haired man.

"Wow." Chouza said. "Nice tunic."

"Hitomi embroidered it for me." Hiashi replied, giving his wife a small but heartfelt smile. "Since this gathering was explicitly described as being casual-wear, I thought it would be suitable."

"Great design." Chouza noted, "I like how the trousers bring the colors out more."

"The flowers are very recognizable. I'm impressed." Inoichi added.

"Thank you." Hiashi nodded as Hitomi smiled, then he looked down at the three children with him. "Hinata, Hanabi, go and socialize. Ruto, you go as well, but we may need you later."

Ruto half-bowed and then turned to follow the two girls. As he caught up to them, Hinata snagged one of his arms while Hanabi scrambled onto his back. Ino scurried across to guide them to where the other youngsters of the clans had assembled.

"We're glad you could make it." Shikaku noted, then his mouth turned slightly upwards. "We'll try not to make it too troublesome for you."

Hiashi's lips twitched briefly into a smile at Shikaku's little joke as he allowed his wife and himself to be led towards one of the several groups of adults.

"By the way, where's Neji?"

"He came down with a cold and sends his apologies."

.

"Hey, Ruto, Hinata." Choji said in greeting as Ino dragged the trio to them. "Hello…?"

"Hanabi." Came the giggling response and Choji nodded to the little girl perched on Naruto's back. "Hello Hanabi-chan."

"Don't I deserve a _–chan_?" Hinata mock-whined and Choji started stammering before Hinata giggled, giving away the fact that she was joking.

"And I thought Ino was the only troublesome girl here."

"WHAT WAS THAT, SHIKA!?" Ino roared and Shikamaru simply sighed.

"Sorry. You _are_ the only one."

Ino blinked several times as she thought about what he had said, then she turned to Hinata.

"Just ignore him."

Hinata giggled again as Naruto swung Hanabi down to the ground. Hanabi promptly scurried over to Choji and tried to climb up his side, much to the large boy's surprise.

"Hanabi-chan loves shoulder rides." Naruto shrugged and Choji nodded. Reaching down, he plucked Hanabi off the ground and placed the laughing girl on his own shoulders.

"My dad used to carry me like this when I was young." He explained with a slight shrug. "May as well get some practice in."

Hanabi giggled as Choji started to lumber forwards.

.

"He moves almost the same way Hinata does." Shikaku noted and Hiashi nodded slightly.

"My brother is teaching him the Katas of Baguazhang." Hiashi said and the other three Jonin nodded.

"The art _Jyuuken_ evolved from." Inoichi commented. "Explains a lot."

"But he's learning another style… a more linear one." Shikaku continued, watching as Chouza's son laughed at something Hinata had said.

"And until now I thought that Maito Gai was supposed to be _the_ taijutsu expert of Konoha." Hiashi deadpanned. "Just warn us before you decide to start wearing green spandex, please."

Chouza had unfortunately been drinking as Hiashi made his comment and his snort of laughter resulted in a dramatic spray of watered fruit juice briefly encompassing his head. Choking, he made several grasping motions until Hiashi fished a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it over so that the larger man could wipe his face.

"I think I need to ask my cousin to remove that image from my mind." Inoichi stated, although his grin belied his words. "Shika in green spandex… that picture is _troublesome_."

Chouza laughed as Shikaku responded to Inoichi's comment the same way that _he_ had responded to Hiashi's. Passing the cloth across to his team-mate, he smirked as Shikaku wiped the drink from his face.

"I think that this is going to be a fun gathering." He chortled, glancing at the group of children.

.

Hinata dropped her toothbrush back into its cup before walking into the bedroom. Climbing into bed, she briefly activated her _Byakugan_ before snuggling against her fiancée, her head resting on his shoulder and his chin pressed against her scalp.

"I thought that today went very well." Naruto said quietly and Hinata nodded with a slight _hmmm_ of pleasure as Naruto's arm wrapped around her shoulders.

"I think Hanabi wanted to adopt Choji as her newest big brother." Naruto added, causing Hinata to nod and giggle at the memory of Choji's face when Hanabi had flopped into his lap, snuggled into his chest and fallen asleep. "He'll be a great father some day."

Hinata nodded again, then she sighed. "I think Shikamaru suspects."

Naruto stroked her hair as he considered his answer. Before they had left for the Nara compound, Hiashi had briefly and privately informed Naruto about how Shikamaru had deduced his real identity and his _Kekkai Genkai_ , although Shikamaru had also wrongly deduced that Naruto went cloaked all the time because of lightning-induced burns and not because he couldn't actually deactivate his invisibility.

"Ino was asking about how we live together." Hinata giggled. "When I told her we slept in the same bed, she almost fainted."

"So _that's_ why she was giving me odd looks!" Naruto realized. "I wondered why she kept turning red."

Hinata released another giggle as she snuggled closer to her fiancée.

"You kept doing that after we first met, too." Naruto realised. "You never told me why, though."

Hinata didn't answer and Naruto glanced down, smiling as he realised that she had fallen asleep.

"Sleep well, Hinata-hime." He whispered, then he reached out and snagged the blindfold that he wore to reduce the amount of light that reached his eyes.

Being invisible meant that quite often, he'd find himself able to see the inside of the blindfold depending on the ambient light, but it was still better than seeing every stray beam of light from the lanterns that illuminated the paths at night.

Invisible eyelids were often more trouble than people thought.

.

"I think that that went well." Chouza said as he lifted his saucer of sake. Shikaku nodded lazily in agreement.

"I think my daughter learned far more than she ever expected to." Inoichi sniggered. "I lost count of how many times she blushed whenever Hinata or Ruto were near her."

Chouza chuckled at the memory, then his smile widened.

"When Choji finally grows up, he'll make a _great_ dad. I heard the youngest Hyuuga call him _cousin_ while he was giving her a shoulder-ride."

"So." Shikaku yawned. "Your opinion. Do you think that the gamble will pay off?"

"Heck, yes." Chouza, grinning widely. "A clan-alliance with a clan of ultimate stealth practitioners _and_ the Hyuuga? I'd say that that was more than worth the risk."

"Might be worth thinking about team variations for future generations." Inoichi mused. "I mean, the Ino-Shika-Cho-style team is getting to be quite well-known and as we all know, predictability is the downfall of a ninja."

"True…" Shikaku agreed. "Let's think about this… five possibilities. That gives ten team variations just using the Nara, Akamichi, Yamanaka, Hyuuga and Yurei without repetition… an Akamichi-Hyuuga-Yurei would be best suited to heavy combat missions while Yamanaka-Hyuuga-Yurei would be far superior in infiltration. For capture, a Yamanaka-Nara-Hyuuga would work best. Assuming that Ruto's chakra pool breeds true, the Yurei Clan will undoubtedly specialize in _Kage Bunshin_ , thus significantly boosting their recon and covert assault skills."

"Have you been giving this some thought?" Inoichi asked in amusement and Shikaku shook his head.

"No. At least, not until you mentioned it. We may want to approach Hiashi about the possibility of occasionally training our children together so that they can get used to each others combat styles."

"An interesting thought." Inoichi admitted. "Having a Yamanaka protected by a Hyuuga and an Akamichi so that they can use one of our wide-area techniques safely could be a true game-changer in large-scale battles."

"I think I'm following." Chouza nodded. "Of course, we won't see it in this generation, or much in the next, unless they choose to have a _lot_ of children."

"But if their clan thrives, our _great_ -grandchildren will be part of an alliance that will guarantee Konoha's primacy for as long as our clans last." Inoichi said, then he smirked. "And that is where we differ from those civilians. If they don't see a possible result in a few years, they don't bother, and then they wonder why we Shinobi are so far ahead of them."

.

Hinata woke up and snuggled against Naruto, listening to the beat of his heart through his ribcage. For a moment, she thought about getting up, then she smiled as, while still asleep, Naruto's arms tightened around her.

"Sister!"

Hinata's eyes flew open as Hanabi landed on them both, waking Naruto in the process.

"Hanabi!" Hinata half-scolded. "Why do you keep doing that to us?"

"Morning cuddles!" Hanabi exclaimed, squirming in between Naruto and Hinata, then smiling at them as innocently as possible in the dawnlight.

"Let me get this straight." Naruto said, laughter flickering in his voice. "You woke up and instead of going to your parents, you instead decided to go down the corridor, through the hall, around the mansion and into our home just to get your morning cuddles?"

"Uh-huh!"

Hinata sighed, then pulled Hanabi to her side of the bed, letting Naruto get up.

"You know that we have special training today, right?" She asked as Naruto carefully deactivated the alarm clock before it could go off.

"Um-hm."

Hinata opened her mouth, then looked at Naruto apologetically.

"Okay, Hanabi, we've got an extra towel so you can bathe with me before we have breakfast."

"I'll have a quick wash and then get out the clothes you need." Naruto laughed. "And I'll pull out some of Hanabi-chan's clothes too."

Hinata bit back a giggle at the reminder that her younger sister visited so often that they had given in and stored some of her clothing in a trunk for occasions such as those.

.

"Good morning, children."

"Good morning, uncle." Hinata said as she bowed.

"Good morning, Hizashi-sama." Naruto echoed, then he turned his attention to the boy standing next to Hizashi. "Good morning, Neji-san. I am pleased to see that you have recovered from your cold."

"Good morning, Neji-nii-san." Hinata echoed with a slight smile and Neji bowed stiffly.

"Good morning Hinata-san, Ruto-san."

"Since all three of you have mastered both tree-walking and water-walking, it is time for you to begin learning the jutsu that was granted to the Hyuuga for our alliance with the soon-to-be Yurei clan." Hizashi said as he extended his arm. "Hinata, Neji, use your _eyes_ for this."

Both children activated their _Byakugan_ and a blue sphere slowly formed in Hizashi's hand. Once complete, he held if for half a minute, then let it dissipate.

"What you three just saw was the _Rasengan_ , one of the signature jutsu of the Yondaime Hokage. There are three stages to its development. Rotation, power and stability. You must rotate the chakra in all directions, you must do so strongly and you must maintain it even during its use, like this."

A full _Rasengan_ appeared in Hizashi's hand within a split-second and he turned and thrust it at the training log next to him. The sphere sank into the log, generating a cloud of splinters, then the log cracked into pieces and was hurled away.

"The _Rasengan_ is both simple and complex at the same time, it makes the _Kaiten_ look almost uncontrolled by comparison." Hizashi said, allowing the blue globe to dissipate again. "For the first stage, I have a box of water balloons. Please take one and try to spiral the water inside until the balloon bursts. Once you can do that, we will move to the next stage."

"Uncle Hizashi…" Hinata said quietly. "About the _Rasengan_ , does anyone else know that the Hyuuga know it?"

"Not at this time." Hizashi replied. "Until one of our number has no choice but to use it in public, we are to keep it quiet so that we have an advantage that our enemies do not expect. That means that you must not use it outside the compound unless told otherwise. We will practice for an hour, and then we will move on to other jutsu. Ruto-san, there is a special one for you which your chakra reserves will allow you to make use of, but you must read the scroll first."

"Hai, Hizashi-sensei." Naruto replied as he accepted a water balloon. Sitting down to let himself concentrate better, he carefully extended some of his chakra and swirled the water first one way, then a second and a third, getting a feel for it.

"The more ways you can rotate it at once, the better." Hizashi said, watching Hinata's attempts. "Ideally you should spiral your chakra in all directions."

Naruto nodded slightly and turned his attention back to the water balloon in his hands. A _pop_ distracted him and he looked up to see Hinata triumphantly hold up several wet scraps of rubber.

"Well done, Hinata-sama." Hizashi smiled. "Perhaps you can help Ruto-san since you can _see_ his Chakra whereas the rest of us cannot."

Hinata nodded and scooted to Naruto's side. After a moment, she leaned closer to him.

"You're spinning it in only one direction, Ruto-kun. Think of it like… like a whirlpool, but all round."

Naruto nodded and turned his concentration to the small ball of water once again. A moment passed, then Naruto sighed and shook his head.

"I need a different approach..."

"Perhaps this may help." Hizashi said, handing a small scroll over. Naruto accepted it and opened it.

" _Kage Bunshin_?"

"You have more than enough chakra for that and its learning attributes may help you in much the same way that the _Byakugan_ helps us Hyuuga to learn." Hizashi explained. "Read the scroll and learn the Jutsu while Hinata-san and Neji-kun learn the _Rasengan_. Once you have the _Kage Bunshin_ mastered, I am certain that Hinata-san will be eager to oversee your tuition in your father's jutsu."

Naruto nodded in gratitude and walked to the corner of the field, settling down to read through the scroll while Hinata continued to practice exploding the water balloons. After half an hour, she gave her uncle a curious glance..

"I have to ask, how does _Kage Bunshin_ differ from the normal _Bunshin_?"

"Shadow Clones are chakra constructs that are solid." Hizashi explained. "They require a large amount of chakra, which is why you generally have to be at least high-chunin before you are allowed to learn it, the amount of chakra it needs is normally between one and two thirds of the average high-chunin's chakra pools. With Ruto-san's chakra reservoirs, he probably will not even notice the drain needed to make a single clone. It will be interesting to see how many he can create."

Hinata nodded, then she frowned.

"Will the clones be invisible too?"

"Almost certainly." Hizashi nodded. "With Ruto's chakra being impossible for most of us to see, we can expect his clones to be likewise."

"Done it!"

Everyone turned to see and Hizashi's eyebrows shot up as he looked at the seven Narutos.

"How…"

"Easy." Naruto shrugged. "It uses _loads_ of chakra, and chakra is what I have loads of."

"Even so… that was, what? Your first go?"

"Third." Naruto laughed. "All those chakra exercises really helped me work out how my chakra was supposed to be shaped."

"Well." Hizashi said after a moment, "Use one of your clones to finish reading the scroll. By the way,why aren't your clones invisible?"

Naruto tilted his head in confusion, then turned to look at his clones. "Ummm, they are."

"Their clothes aren't."

"Neither are mine." Naruto pointed out and Hizashi squeezed his eyes closed as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Naruto-sama, your clones are made from your chakra, which is invisible, so they should be invisible as well!"

"Really?" Naruto asked. "I didn't know that."

"Did you even _read_ the notes on the jutsu?"

Naruto shook his head and Hizashi sighed.

"Have your clone dispel after it finishes reading the scroll. Maybe later we can work out just _how_ you managed to do that."

.

Hiashi stared at his brother in near-shock.

"Let me see if I understand this. Despite his chakra being invisible, Naruto can create clones with clothing as visible as his own. In addition, his _Henge_ lets him attain full visibility."

"Yes, brother." Hizashi replied stoically, not showing a single trace of the near-breakdown he'd had as he had tried to understand how Naruto had managed something that really shouldn't have been possible. "I must point out that unlike a normal _Henge_ which is a _genjutsu_ overlay, Naruto-san's version is an actual shape-change, although his chakra remains invisible."

"That… shouldn't be possible." Hiashi managed and Hizashi shrugged slightly.

"I believe that we will find ourselves saying that quite a bit in the next few years, brother. Naruto-san seems to re-define the rules of jutsu. Both my son and Hinata-sama are trying to learn Naruto-san's version of the _Henge_."

Hiashi nodded slowly. "I admit that I'm amazed at how fast he learned the _Kage Bunshin_ ,"

"I was as well, until I thought about it." Hizashi said and Hiashi cocked an inquisitive eyebrow at him. "Naruto-san and Hinata-sama help each other almost constantly. Hinata-sama said that she taught Naruto-san how to concentrate while he helped her to learn new ways of looking at situations, such as that… _interesting_ training session you had with her last week."

Hiashi hid a wince. Hinata had asked for permission to prepare for the sparring session beforehand and Hiashi hadn't realized just what she meant. As a result, he had finished the session covered in paint and itching powder from the various traps that Hinata and Naruto had concealed around, beneath and above the sparring square while the bruises from the catapulted rubber balls had taken several days to fade, even with the application of healing jutsu.

Hiashi had made a mental note to never give Hinata permission to prepare like that again and to also ensure that the Hyuuga clan's training in traps and trap detection was at least doubled. It was quite terrifying how even with the _Byakugan_ , he had been hard-pressed to see the traps before they activated.

"I oversaw them taking an intelligence test a couple of weeks ago." Hizashi said and Hiashi snapped his mental meanderings back to what his brother was saying. "Naruto has a very unusual type of intelligence. Although he is only very slightly above average in most things, when it comes to improvisation or kinaesthetic learning, he is at genius level. Hinata-sama rates as more intelligent than him in general, but she does not have the same out-of-the-box thinking abilities as Naruto-san. I sometimes wonder if Naruto-san even knows there _is_ a box to think outside of."

"And that means…?" Hiashi prompted.

"That Naruto-san quite literally learns by doing." Hizashi said. "He learns from every attempt he makes, it does not matter if he succeeds or fails."

"…impressive." Hiashi managed and Hizashi's lips quirked briefly into what an observer might uncharitably call a smirk.

"He is a genius of hard work. It is no wonder that he, Rock Lee and Maito Gai get along so well."

Hiashi _almost_ managed to hide a wince at the reminder. He still hadn't lived down the fact that he had lost a bet and thus had to wear a green spandex unitard to one of Maito Gai's training exercises. Fortunately, Hinata had put her foot down and somehow persuaded Lee not to wear a similar outfit himself. Hiashi wasn't sure if he could stomach seeing _two_ shinobi in that ever-damned outfit.

"Should we expedite their passage through the Academy?"

Hizashi shook his head. "I would not advise it, brother. They have friends and are forming bonds with the various clan-heirs. I do not see how removing them from it will help the clan."

Hiashi nodded slowly. His brother was right, which was why he relied on him so much.

Fortunately, he didn't need to worry about what would happen should his brother not be there to help.

Kami only knew what might have happened had that been the case.


	7. Testing Spirit

Umino Iruka entered the classroom and hid a smile as the noise level dropped precipitously. Behind him, Mizuki closed the door and made his way to the smaller desk in the corner of the room as Iruka took his place behind the main desk, looking out at the students before him.

"As you know, today is the day that you are tested to see if you can become Genin of Konohagakure." He said with a proud smile. "All of you here have demonstrated that you have the basic skills required to become a Shinobi, but now it is time to officially prove it. Mizuki?"

Mizuki nodded as he pulled a sheaf of papers from the desk and moved around the classroom, placing one set of papers in front of each of the students.

"You have half an hour to answer as many of the questions as you can." Iruka said, looking at the clock mounted on the wall. "The test will end at nine-thirty. You may begin."

Within seconds, the sound of pencils scraping against paper filled the classroom and Mizuki returned to stand beside Iruka.

"So, who do you think will be rookie of the year?" He said quietly. "My money would be on Uchiha Sasuke if I was allowed to bet, ever since his brother discovered that Sasuke's main affinity was lightning rather than fire, he's been making considerable progress."

"I think it'll be either Hyuuga Hinata or Yurei Ruto." Iruka countered, keeping an eye out to ensure that no-one was cheating. "You've seen how the two of them push each other to do better?"

Mizuki nodded, then he glanced over at the girl with bright pink hair. "I thought that Haruno Sakura would be the Konoichi of the year. She's really improved her physical capabilities after Sasuke was overheard saying that he had no interest in weak girls, and with her memory skills…"

"Almost as good as Nara Shikamaru, I know." Iruka noted, glaring at where the aforementioned boy had fallen asleep. "Fortunately she doesn't have his laziness."

"Looks like Inuzuka Kiba will be the Dead Last." Mizuki added as he glanced over at the tattooed boy who was swearing under his breath as he struggled with the exam sheet. "Inuzuka never do well with anything paper-related as his mother so memorably proved."

Iruka managed not to laugh as he remembered Inuzuka Tsume's last foray into trying to deal with paperwork while the Hokage was away on business. The floor of the Hokage's office still showed traces of ash and claw marks from when she had lost her temper with the bureaucratic process.

"Yamanaka Ino's doing almost as well as Sakura." Mizuka stated in surprise. "I knew that they were friends, but…"

"They often train together." Iruka supplied, earning a curious glance. "Several of the clans are partially cross-training their children. The move was started by the Nara and the Hyuuga and the others soon joined in. Even the Aburame."

Both teachers glanced at the shades-wearing dark-haired stoic boy in the corner furthest from the windows.

"I heard that Choji has already taken several unofficial missions babysitting the younger Hyuuga daughter." Iruka added as the chubby boy in question turned over the first page of the test and started on the second. "Rumor has it that she calls him cousin now."

"I heard that as well." Mizuki noted, then he snorted in amusement. "You realize that we've just swapped gossip about all nine of our students."

Iruka paused, then grinned in wry amusement. "Sweet kami, we've turned into a pair of old housewives."

"Back to speaking of the Uchiha," Mizuki said, referring to an earlier point in their conversation, "I heard that Itachi is being personally trained by Hiruzen to take over as the new Hokage in a few more years."

"An Uchiha as the Godaime Hokage." Iruka mused. "Heh, that would certainly fulfill Uchiha Madara's dream, wouldn't it?"

Mizuki nodded and looked over the industrious students once again.

"You know, the Yondaime's son would have been amongst this lot had he not died and taken the Kyuubi with him."

"Naruto?" Iruka mused, missing the way that the masked student twitched slightly as he said it. "Yeah, now that you mention it, he would have been. He would have become an amazing ninja."

"Or a terrible one, given how many people couldn't tell the difference between him and the Kyuubi." Mizuki countered and Iruka slowly nodded.

"I… I'd like to think I wouldn't have made that mistake, but… Maybe I would have, maybe I wouldn't."

"But it didn't happen, so there's no need to worry about it." Mizuki shrugged.

.

The chattering students filed off the Taijutsu practice area (or limped in a couple of cases) and onto the target range, congregating behind the safety line as Mizuki started to hand out Kunai and Shuriken to those who didn't already have enough.

"Alright." Iruka stated. "When I call your name, step forwards and demonstrate your proficiency with shuriken first, then kunai. Aburame."

Shino stepped forwards and with methodical, precise moves, flung his shuriken and kunai at the man-shaped targets. Iruka nodded as he looked at the results.

"Three fatal strikes on the kunai, four bleed-out points with the shuriken… eighty-three points total. Akamichi!"

Hinata's grip tightened on Naruto's hand and he looked at her.

"You'll do fine, Hinata-Hime. With your skills, your score will be perfect, just like you are."

Hinat blushed and giggled as she swatted Naruto's shoulder. "Have you been taking lessons from Ko? You're turning into almost as large a flirt as he is."

"But it's only _you_ I flirt with, because to me, you're the only one _worth_ flirting with." Naruto shot back, causing Hinata's blush to intensify even as she let him enfold her in a reassuring hug.

"Hyuuga!" Iruka called, interrupting them and Hinata sighed as she extracted herself from Naruto's embrace.

"Go and show them how perfect you are." Naruto whispered and Hinata stepped forwards to the line. Opening her Kunai pouch, she paused for a second, then spun on the spot, using her spin to accelerate the projectiles so that they _thunk_ ed into the targets. Several of the others whistled in amazement.

"Perfect score." Iruka said in amazement as Hinata retrieved her weapons. "Inuzuka."

.

"Final test." Iruka said as Naruto retrieved his weapons and pocketed them with a hidden smirk since he had equaled both Hinata and Sasuke's score. "The three Academy basics or advanced versions thereof and for bonus points, up to two more jutsu of your choice. Once again, we will be going in alphabetical order.

Hinata glanced at Naruto, then blinked. "Ruto-kun, why are you _Henge_ d as yourself?"

"My visible clothes are over there." Naruto whispered back, motioning to a small bush growing by the corner of the Academy. "I'm going to use my natural invisibility as one of my bonus Jutsu."

Hinata nodded in understanding, then she glanced over at the fence and her eyes widened as Ko walked past, giving her a significant glance and then looking at the covered board that he was carrying under his arm. Activating her _Byakugan_ , Hinata looked at the board, then nodded to show that she understood the message written on it.

"What is it, Hinata-hime?"

"One of the clan was seen using the _Rasengan_ in the field and word has spread." Hinata whispered back. "I can now use it in public."

"That's one of your bonus jutsu sorted then." Naruto noted and Hinata nodded as Shino made a _Kikkai Bunshin_ instead of the Academy variant, then used _Kawarimi_ to swap places with it before dispelling it back into its constituent insects. "Will you be doing an Academy _Bunshin_?"

Hinata shook her head. "No, I've been practicing the _Mizu Bunshin_. I've also got the 32-strikes mastered, so I'll be using that as well."

Naruto nodded. "Nice. We've got the Rookie and Kunoichi of the Year positions secured."

Hinata nodded as on the demonstration area, Choji turned himself into a human sphere and started to roll.

"What other jutsu are you planning to do, Ruto-kun?"

Naruto shrugged. "I still can't do the other of the two Jutsu's of my father's, while doing my mother's jutsu is not an option if I wish to keep my secret. You're doing the _Rasengan_ and I don't want to lessen the impact… I think G _reat Breakthrough_ while still invisible would be best."

Hinata nodded, looked at Sakura, who was finishing the _Kawarimi_.

"I guess I'm up now." She sighed as she walked onto the testing area. Bowing to Iruka and Mizuki, she performed a perfect _Kawarimi_ and then _Henge_ d into Naruto before reverting back. A couple of hand-seals caused several of the students to gasp as water flowed out of the nearby pond (placed for use with Suiton jutsus) and rose to form three solid clones of Hinata.

"Excellent on the three." Iruka nodded. "Do you have any bonus jutsu you wish to demonstrate?"

Hinata nodded and faced one of the training dummies.

" _Eight trigrams, thirty-two palms_!" She announced and her hands blurred, striking the dummy with brief bursts of chakra. Stepping back, she then held out one hand and the entire field seemed to freeze as a pale blue chakra sphere formed on it.

" _Rasengan_!"

The sphere ripped through the dummy, sending the top half flying and Mizuki whistled.

"That was incredible! How do you know the Yondaime's second jutsu?"

"It was gifted to the Hyuuga Clan several years ago." Hinata explained and Iruka nodded.

"Perfect score with bonus points. Well done."

Hinata bowed and scurried back to Naruto's side, blushing slightly as he hugged her.

"You did brilliantly, Hinata-Hime." He whispered. Hinata smiled and relaxed into his embrace until she heard Naruto being called.

"Win." She whispered and Naruto nodded as he strode forwards, coming to a stop in the middle of the testing ground. Activating her _Byakugan_ , Hinata managed not to giggle at the sight of a dozen of Naruto's invisible _Kage Bunshin_ taking position around the field even as Naruto _Henge_ d into her and then back again. A second later, Naruto seemed to flicker around the field as the clones sequentially replaced themselves with him, causing almost everyone's jaws to drop, then Naruto spun and three of the clones _Henge_ d into visibility, making it seem like he had done a seal-less _Bunshin_.

"Perfect score." Iruka finally managed. "Any bonus jutsu?"

"My _Kekkai Genkai_." Naruto replied as he slowly released his _Henge_ , making it seem that he was fading into invisibility. A moment passed, then a blast of wind caused the trees along the side of the field to bow, leaves scattering in the unexpected gust.

"Great Breakthrough." Naruto said, _Henging_ himself back into visibility. "Performed while invisible, and to prove it was me..."

Flashing through the hand-signs, Naruto unleashed another gust at the trees.

"…incredible." Iruka breathed in amazement. "You get full bonus points."

.

The Hokage's office was fairly crowded as Sarutobi Hiruzen handed out the assignments to the Jonin volunteers.

"…and that's almost all of the civilian-born." He finished. "Hopefully some of the teams will make it and of the rest, we may be able to salvage a few more for our regular forces. You may go."

The Jonin filed out, leaving only three remaining. Hiruzen leaned back and looked at the trio.

"Kakashi, I'm assigning you to Team 10, the new Ino-Shika-Cho trio. Since they already have their teamwork up to better than average levels, according to what their fathers told me, you should be able to move on to helping them come up with new ways to use their skills."

"Hai, Hokage-sama." The silver-haired Jonin said lazily, his one exposed eye gazing at the orange-colored book he was holding.

"Kurenai, I'm giving you Team 8, Uchiha Sasuke, Aburame Shino and Haruno Sakura. With their abilities, they should excel at tracking and infiltration. I would advise you to get Sakura trained as a med-nin at the very least, she has chakra control about equal to yours, although her reserves could use some work."

"Yes, Lord Hokage." The dark-haired red-eyed woman replied, then she glanced at the third Jonin. "I will look after your brother, don't worry."

"Thank you."

"As for you, Itachi, I'm giving you Team 7, the Rookie and Kunoichi of the year plus the dead last. Yurei Ruto, Hyuuga Hinata and Inuzuka Kiba."

Itachi's lips curled into a slight smile. "This should be… interesting."

"Yes, when are you and Hana going to get married, anyway?" Kakashi asked and Itachi's lips quirked upwards for a brief second.

"So, I get the ghost, the princess and my future brother-in-law on my team." Itachi mused. "This will be…"

Itachi paused as a knock sounded on the door, then it opened to reveal a bearded man.

"Hi, pops."

"Asuma." Hiruzen said with a nod. "You missed out on all the fun, I was assigning teams. I'm afraid that if you want one, you'll have to try again in six months. What kept you?"

"Meh, diplomatic stuff." Asuma shrugged. "The Daimyo was doing an inspection of his Samurai's bases and things got… fraught for a while when some _things_ that someone had tried to import from the _Land of Demons_ managed to escape. We got it under control, but I had to spend a month healing before I could return."

"Well, at least Konohamaru will be happy to see you." Hiruzen smiled. "Oh! Itachi, one of your students has a strong wind affinity."

Both Itachi and Asuma looked at Hiruzen in interest and the old man smirked at them. "I'll let _you_ figure out which one."

For a moment, no-one spoke, then Itachi turned to face Asuma. "When it is time…?"

"Sure, but you'll owe me for when I get my own team." Asuma replied. Itachi simply nodded.

"Understood."

.

"Congratulations." Hiashi said. "Rookie and Kunoichi of the year."

"Thanks, Hiashi-sama." Naruto laughed as he intercepted a ballistic Hanabi and swung her up to his shoulders. "So, the _Rasengan_ is now public knowledge?"

"It is." Hiashi confirmed. "Hyuuga Akane was unable to take down all of her enemies during a mission and at least one enemy shinobi managed to retreat after witnessing her using a _Rasengan_ to take down an enemy who was using some strange form of stone body-armor."

"Stone body-armor?" Naruto repeated in surprise. "Wow, that _would_ do a real number on Jyuuken's capabilities under normal circumstances."

"Indeed." Hiashi agreed. "Had it not been for the _Rasengan_ , Akane might even now be in captivity."

Hinata hugged Naruto, taking care not to dislodge her sister. "Thank you."

"Oh, I have a gifts for you both to celebrate your passing." Hiashi said and Hizashi entered with a pair of boxes. He handed one each to Naruto and Hinata, then plucked Hanabi off Naruto's shoulders, placing her on his own before she could protest.

"Thank you!" Hinata gasped as she opened her present to reveal a kimono patterned with the Hyuuga crest, the Yurei crest and the Konoha leaf in a triangle on the back.

"That is a Battle Kimono." Hiashi said. "The Obi contains a number of storage seals sewn into the fabric while the Kimono itself has a mesh armor layer for protection against slashing attacks."

Hinata returned the Kimono to its box and gave her father a hug. "Thank you, tou-san."

"You are welcome." Hiashi whispered, then he looked at Naruto, who was examining the contents of his box, holding up a facial protector engraved with the Konoha symbol.

"The Happurai is made of chakra metal. Please place some of your own chakra into it."

Naruto did so and the Happurai and the fabric band that it was mounted on both faded into invisibility.

"The Hakama is also made of Chakra-reactive fabric, so you will not need to shed as many clothes to hide." Hiashi added. "This first one is a gift from the Hyuuga clan, but if you wish more, it will have to come from your inheritance."

"You have already done far more for me than I have any right to expect." Naruto replied with a deep bow.

"There is a pair of custom sandals underneath made from chakra metal and chakra-reactive fabric." Hiashi added. "They will provide less protection than boots or standard ninja sandals, but it means you will no longer have to fight barefoot."

"Thank you, Hiashi-Dono." Naruto said with another bow.

"Now, I believe that you have some _fuinjutsu_ lessons to attend?" Hiashi prompted and Naruto nodded. "Go. I shall have the gifts placed in your house."

Naruto bowed again and backed out of the entry hall before running off to one of the training Dojos.

"Hinata, you and Naruto will be on the same team." Hiashi said, earning a grateful look from his eldest daughter. "I am informed that the third shall be Inuzuka Kiba and your sensei will be Uchiha Itachi."

"Ouch." Hinata winced. "With Itachi dating Hana… may I go and start persuading Kiba that he will need to behave?"

Hiashi nodded and Hinata bowed before scurrying off.

"I will inform Naruto-san where Hinata-sama has gone _after_ his lesson in the art of seals." Hizashi murmured and Hiashi nodded.

"Thank you, brother."

.

"Coming! Coming!"

Hinata hid a smile as she heard Kiba coming towards the door, occasionally pausing to swear or push something away from him. Although she could theoretically have used her _Byakugan_ to observe what was happening, such a thing would have been a breach of the Inuzuka Clan's privacy.

"Down boy! Down! Good boy. Okay… Hinata! Hey, watcha doing here?"

"Good morning Kiba-san." Hinata said with a small bow. "Have you been informed of the teams yet?"

"I think mom knows, but I haven't had a chance to ask." Kiba mused. "You should ask Ino, with her gossiping skills, she probably knows it already."

"I did not come to ask you for the information, Kiba-san." Hinata said quietly. "May I enter?"

"Huh? Oh, sure, please, come in." Kiba said, stepping aside to let her in. "Um, do you want anything to eat or drink?"

Hinata shook her head slightly. "Thank you, but no, Kiba-san. I am here because I know which team I am on."

"And you needed a shoulder to cry on?" Kiba asked. "Did you get assigned to a different one than Ruto?"

"I am on Ruto-kun's team." Hinata replied. "And so are you."

For a moment, Kiba simply stared at her, then his eyebrows shot up. "Wow, really? I'm with you and Ruto? Deyammn, that's cool!"

"Our sensei will be Uchiha Itachi." Hinata said quickly and Kiba inhaled sharply.

"WHAT?! That no-good bastard?"

"What no-good bastard?" A voice asked and Kiba flinched.

"Ummm, nothing to worry about, sis. Really, nothing at all."

"I think that your brother just found out about the team he is going to be assigned to, or to be more precise, who his Jonin-sensei will be." Itachi's amused voice said and Kiba winced.

"I'm dead. I am _so_ dead." He whimpered.

"So, you, my idiot brother and Ruto, huh?" Hana said, giving Kiba a sidelong glance that made him shrink back. "I wonder if we'll find out what Ruto looks like. Did you know that the Chunin and Jonin have been placing bets? Tell me, is he handsome under that mask?"

Hinata blushed and her hand reflexively went to the pocket holding the most recent sketch that she had been working on. Hana caught the movement and quickly filched the paper, unfolding it and whistling.

"Wow, what a _dish_! If I wasn't with red-eyes here, I might have been tempted!"

"Hana-san!" Hinata growled, retrieving the picture and tucking it into an inner pocket. Hana stepped back and raised her hands defensively.

"Sorry! Sorry! It's just that the curiosity has been driving us all _nuts_! You are one lucky girl, though, you know that?"

Hinata blushed, one hand protectively placed over the folded sketch in her pocket.


	8. Strength Of Sprit

Umino Iruka entered the classroom and hid a smile as the noise level dropped precipitously.

"Welcome back, class." He said with a smile, then he let his face assume a more serious expression. "Due to a training accident, Mizuki will not be joining us. The details are rather embarrassing, so I am sure that he would prefer you to not ask about it."

Hinata and Naruto looked at each other and Hinata _huff_ ed. They had been told by a Branch member that Mizuki had made the mistake of trying to break into the Hokage's tower to steal the Forbidden Scroll just as the Hokage was heading for a quiet meeting with Hiashi about covertly transferring all the money in the old Namikaze and Uzumaki accounts over to the new Yurei clan accounts. Between Hiruzen's _Bojutsu_ and Hiashi's _Jyuuken_ , Mizuki had been lucky to survive, although the injuries he had sustained meant that even after he finished serving his prison sentence, he would be unable to mold chakra or fight even at standard civilian levels.

"The other classes have already been assigned as teams one through six. Team seven will be…"

Iruka paused as a knock sounded on the door, then it opened to reveal a trio of Jonin.

"Are we late?" The tall, silver-haired one asked and Iruka shook his head in disbelief.

"Actually, Kakashi, you're _early_!"

"The Hokage told him to come three hours ago." The woman said with a smile. "My name is Yuhi Kurenai and I am here for Team 8. Please will Uchiha Sasuke, Haruna Sakura and Aburame Shino come with me?"

"Yes!" The pink-haired girl shouted as she leapt up. "Same team as Sasuke… kun…"

Sakura quailed under the sudden death glare that Kurenai gave her.

"If you wish to pass, you will _not_ act like a fangirl on this team." She ground out and Sakura nodded jerkily. "Good. Now come on."

As the three followed their teacher, Sasuke paused and looked at his older brother.

"You will do fine, little brother." Itachi smiled at him. "She is an excellent Jonin and a true expert at _Genjutsu_. Go."

Sasuke nodded and dashed off as Kakashi slouched forwards.

"Ino-Shika-Cho juniors, also known as Team 10, meet me on the roof." He said before vanishing in a swirl of leaves. Itachi stepped out of the way as Ino ran past, followed by Choji and a slouching Shikamaru.

"Well, I believe that means that you three with me." Itachi smiled. "Iruka-san, thank you for training them. I know that you must feel saddened to see them leave."

Iruka nodded with a bittersweet smile. "I know you three will do me proud."

"We will, Iruka-sensei!" Kiba half-shouted and Itachi waved for them to follow him.

"Training ground seven."

.

At the training ground, Itachi sank down to sit cross-legged on the grass, leaning against the middle of the three target posts. As the three genin settled down in front of him, Itachi began speaking.

"As you know, I am Uchiha Itachi, Inuzuka Hana's current boyfriend and fiancee. I enjoy training, being with Hana and teaching my younger brother Sasuke. My dislikes are those who act without honor or who shirk their duties, and my dreams for the future are to help Konoha to become all that it can be. To that end, I will do my utmost to help _you_ become the best ninja that you can be, assuming that you can work together. Kiba, please tell me about Ruto."

Kiba blinked a few times as he thought, then he shrugged.

"Yurei Ruto, he has a weird Kekkai Genkai that lets him turn invisible and has no scent, which is how I know that it's him under that mask. He's very close to Hinata, I heard that they may be getting married at some point. At some point in the past, Hinata saved his life, but I don't know the details."

"Excellent." Itachi said. "Hinata, please tell me about Kiba."

Hinata bowed slightly before speaking. "Kiba-san and his ninken Akamaru are from the Inuzuka clan. Kiba has enhanced senses and can perform several of the Inuzuka partnership jutsu as well as understanding what Akamaru says. His older sister is a chunin and a vet with a sub-specialty in ninken. Although prone to impulsive acts, Kiba has a very strong sense of pack and will face down any threat to protect those he cares about."

Kiba glowed with pride as Itachi nodded. "Good. Ruto…"

"Hyuuga Hinata is the former heiress of the Hyuuga clan. She chose to step down in favor of her younger sister so that she could be with me, although I still think the price was too high." Naruto said, earning a look from Hinata that mingled love, exasperation and resignation. "Hinata-Hime has only basic skills in _Jyuuken_ but is highly proficient in _Juho_ , a fact which is at least partially explained by her strong water-nature. She prefers not to seek attention, but has a very strong personality."

"Good." Itachi said. "Now the other way around. Kiba, describe Hinata."

"She's a _babe_." Kiba said, then he winced as his brain caught up with what his mouth had said. "Sorry! Sorry!"

"I see." Itachi sighed. "We will have to work on that. Hinata, please describe Ruto."

Hinata blushed. "I… Naruto-kun… he…"

"Never mind." Itachi sighed. "Ruto?"

"Inuzuka Kiba is the second child of Inuzuka Tsume, the leader of the Inuzuka Packs. His partner is the white-furred ninken Akamaru and the two of them have a strong bond. Kiba is prone to making thoughtless comments and speaking before thinking, but his loyalty is beyond reproach and he is completely trustworthy."

"Good. You all have at least some idea about each other." Itachi said. "I have read your files and watched the graduation test. Ruto, my cousin Shisui was quite flabbergasted when he heard that you had duplicated the trick for which he is famous, but I could not see you using any chakra. How is this?"

Naruto paused, then reached up and unhooked his mask, removing it so that everyone could see his apparently-empty hood.

"My _Toton_ _Kekkai Genkai_ is always activated. Unless I use _Henge_ , I am naturally invisible, only Hinata and Hanabi can see me, and even then they have to be using their _Byakugan_ s."

Itachi blinked and his eyes briefly flared red.

"I cannot see you with my _Sharingan_. I admit that it is… slightly disconcerting."

Naruto shrugged. "My _Kage Bunshin_ are naturally invisible too. I deployed over a dozen before the test and had them _Kawarimi_ with me as quickly as they could."

"Thus giving the impression that you were doing a high-speed seal-less _Shunshin_." Itachi nodded in respect. "Brilliant."

"My clones can also _Kawarimi_ with other people." Naruto continued. "On a couple of occasions, one of my clones have accidentally swapped places with Hinata-Hime. I don't know how many clones I can make, last time I paid attention, I had made over a hundred."

Itachi whistled. "Should we enter a potentially dangerous situation, I will have you leave five clones trailing us so that should we be trapped, they can _kawarimi_ us to safety. We will have to practice that, though. Can you become visible?"

"Only if I _Henge_ and I can only hold that for a few hours." Naruto said. "Same for my clones, they're invisible unless they _Henge_ themselves. For some reason, Hinata finds them easier to see."

"Possibly because they are pure chakra constructs." Itachi mused. "Please, make a few clones."

Naruto's hands moved briefly into a cross seal and a several near-silent _pop_ s sounded. Itachi activated his _Sharingan_ and looked round.

"I still cannot see _you_ , but I _think_ I can just make out your clones. They are like… _ripples_ in the air. Thank you. I admit to being very impressed. Normally, I would set a test to see if you were worthy of becoming my genin team, but from what I have seen of you now and read in your files, such a test would merely be a waste of your time and mine. Therefore, congratulations, shinobi of Konoha."

"Yeah!" Kiba shouted, leaping up in celebration as Naruto kissed Hinata on her cheek, causing her to blush. A rustle caught their attention and they looked to see that Itachi had pulled out several pieces of paper.

"If you do not know your elemental affinity, please take a piece of chakra paper."

"Mine is Water, Itachi-sensei." Hinata said quietly. "I am also training in the medical arts."

"My primary is air, while I have lightning and fire as secondaries." Naruto said, earning a shocked look from Kiba and a raised eyebrow from Itachi.

"I don't know what I am." Kiba admitted and Itachi passed across two pieces of paper. "Huh?"

"One for you and one for Akamaru." Itachi explained. "Channel some chakra into the paper."

Kibe frowned, then his grown turned to shock as the paper in his hand crumbled.

"Earth, an excellent element for strength." Itachi said, then he glanced at Akamaru. "And it seems that Akamaru has a lightning affinity, excellent for piercing attacks."

"Cool." Kiba grinned as Akamaru yapped in agreement.

"I cannot help with Akamaru's use of lightning beyond the basics, though." Itachi warned. "All of my lightning jutsu require hand-seals."

"We'll work something out." Kiba smirked. "Hey, we know that Akamaru's a lightning type now. That gives us a good starting point."

"Indeed it does." Itachi agreed. "We shall meet here tomorrow at nine o'clock to start your training. Kiba, Akamaru, please relay my respects to your mother and tell her that I said that she raised a fine Shinobi."

Kiba puffed up with pride at that.

"And that you don't seem too bad yourself." Itachi added in a deadpan voice, earning himself a disbelieving glare from Kiba. Hinata and Naruto both managed not to giggle, but it was a close-run thing. Kiba growled and stalked off while Itachi made several fast seals before turning to Hinata and Naruto.

"Hinata, you referred to Ruto as _Na_ ruto. Why?"

Hinata froze as Itachi gave her an expectant look, then Naruto sighed.

"I saw you making some seals. Does that mean that we are secure?"

At Itachi's nod, Naruto continued. "I was born Uzumaki Naruto, an accident turned me invisible and made everyone think I had died. I heard the Hokage's speech about who I really was and my burden, then I encountered Hinata-Hima and she offered me sanctuary. Her father was kind enough to help me take a new name and train as a Shinobi."

"Interesting." Itachi mused. "May I discuss this with the Hokage?"

"He knows, as do several of my clan, but I do not think anyone else does." Hinata said quietly.

"Then I shall make certain that it remains a secret." Itachi said with a nod verging on being a formal bow. "I shall see you both tomorrow, then."

"Well, you'll see Hinata-Hime." Naruto laughed as he donned his mask once more. "I'm invisible, remember?"

"Indeed you are, Ruto-san, indeed you are."

.

"Itachi, you're early." Hiruzen noted, looking up from the pile of paperwork on his desk. "Is there a problem with your team?"

"Yes and no." Itachi said, glancing round. "I found out about Yurei Ruto's… history."

Hiruzen froze, then his hands blurred into a sequence of seals that Itachi couldn't quite make out. The windows darkened and Hiruzen leaned forwards.

"Tell me what you learned."

"I was told that Yurei Ruto is none other than Namikaze-Uzumake Naruto, the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi. How this came to be, I do not know."

"He was struck by lightning while trying to perform a chameleon-jutsu." Hiruzen explained and Itachi nodded.

"Lightning. I had wondered why he had multiple affinities, the bolt may have interacted with his seal in an unexpected way."

"It did, and his invisibility is a true Kekkai Genkai." Hiruzen said.

"He is invisible even to my _Sharingan_."

Hiruzen's eyebrows shot up briefly. "Really?"

"I can barely make out the _Kage Bunshin_ that he uses." Itachi confirmed. "Hinata can apparently see him well enough to draw him."

"Interesting." Hiruzen mused. "I wonder how? I may need to speak to Hiashi about this."

"May I come along as well when you do?" Itashi asked.

"Of course."

.

"Yeah! Our first mission!" Kiba leapt and punched the air as he led the way into the mission office, completely missing the brief smirk that Itachi had on his face. "So, what is it? Are we going to escort a caravan? Wipe out bandits? Track down a nukenin? Rescue a princess?"

"Well, as new genin, you are cleared for D-rank missions." Hiruzen said from his position behind the desk. "Now, since you are fairly early, we have… painting a fence…" Kiba froze, "…Catching Tora…" Kiba's eyes widened in horror, "Or helping out at the Inuzuka kennels."

"We will take the last." Itachi said and Kiba spun round.

"You just want to spend more time with my siste-UMMMPH! Hmmph? Wrrhrrmph?"

"Kiba, _think_!" Naruto hissed at the boy he was restraining. "Itachi gets more time with Hana, it puts him in a better mood and he's more likely to teach us something good!"

Kiba froze, then growled as he slumped. Naruto removed his hand and Kiba glowered at him.

"So, you good now?"

Kiba growled again and Naruto cocked his head slightly before nodding. "We're good to go, sensei."

Itachi nodded as he snagged the thrown scroll out of the air with a movement that bespoke incredible skill and control. "Good. Kiba, you know the area. Lead the others there."

Kiba perked up. "Alright! I'm the leader! Come on!"

Pausing to bow to the Hokage, the other two Genins followed Kiba out of the room.

"Not going with them?"

"I'll meet them there." Itachi said with a microscopic shrug, then he produced a picture and handed it over to Hiruzen. "I thought you might appreciate seeing this. It is one of the failed pictures."

Hiruzen looked at it and smirked. Itachi was stood in the background of the picture with Hinata directly in front of him. Kiba was wide-eyed and staring at Naruto, whose presence was only deducible via the apparently-floating tunic, trousers, gloves and Happurai while Akamaru was pointedly staring the other way with an expression suggesting he was rather disconcerted. The group pose was undermined, however, by the fact that Hyuuga Hanabi had chosen to spectacularly glomp Naruto just at the instant that the picture was being taken.

"In retrospect, having the picture taken in the garden outside Hinata and Ruto's home may not have been our greatest move." Itachi admitted as Hiruzen handed the picture back with a smile. "We eventually had to ask Hizashi-san to hold her so that we could _take_ the picture without interruptions."

"So I saw." Hiruzen agreed. "So, shouldn't you get moving? After all, you _do_ have the mission scroll."

Itachi nodded, then he seemed to vanish in a slight blur, causing Hiruzen's eyebrows to rise.

"Someone's been studying under Shisui, I see."

.

Itachi stepped into the Inuzuka compound and froze, glancing round at the motionless Inuzuka and ninken, all of whom were staring at his genin team.

His team who were floating four feet in the air, sat in classic meditation poses, except for Akamaru who was simply loosely sprawled and ignoring the fact that he wasn't actually on the ground.

"Itachi." Tsume said slowly, " _What_ have you been teaching my son?! And how did you teach him so fast?"

"It wasn't me!" Itachi said quickly, then on a hunch he activated his _Sharingan_ briefly and chuckled in amused disbelief.

"Alright, Ruto. You can stop that now. Dispel your invisible clones."

Naruto nodded and all three genin (and the white ninken) dropped to the ground, landing lightly as Tsume stared at them. "…how?"

"Ruto-san can create invisible solid clones." Itachi shrugged. "He was having them carry the team. It is a very interesting trick, though. It may even be a valid combat tactic if applied correctly. After all, over-estimating an enemy can be as lethal as under-estimating them."

"True." Tsume mused, then her eyes flickered past Itachi and she grabbed the scroll from his hands. "You'll be busy, so I'll handle the briefing."

Itachi opened his mouth to reply, then a pair of arms wrapped around him.

"Hey, Ita-kun." Hana whispered into his ear as her three dogs started to bounce around like hyperactive puppies. "Come on, let's have some fun!"

"Eeeew." Kiba whinged. "I _so_ didn't need to see that. Bleugh."

"Quiet, pup." Tsume grinned. "Group three needs their walks, use route four. Got it?"

"Okay, mom." Kiba said, moving towards the kennel enclosure. "Come on, guys."

"Umm, Kiba-san." Hinata said, the corner of her mouth twitching up slightly as she delivered the punchline. "You are aware that I'm a girl rather than a guy, right?"

Kiba froze. "Yeah, I meant… when I said… you see, I…"

Hinata started to giggle as Kiba tried to pull himself out of his verbal hole and Kiba glared at her.

"You have an _evil_ sense of humor. Ruto's a _bad_ influence on you."

Hinata gave him an innocent look and he shook his head before stalking off.

.

"They're back." Hana noted as the background noise rose slightly and Itachi sighed.

"Well, I guess that means that we have to stop. Drat."

Hana giggled as she adjusted her top, then she stood up and stretched.

"You should neaten up and head out." She said, pausing to kiss Itachi's cheek. "You don't want to traumatize your genin, do you?"

"It might be worth it." Itachi countered as he watched Hana finish adjusting her clothes. "But you are right. Time to be a Jonin-Sensei again. Damn."

"You really need more swear words." Hana giggled as she opened the door to reveal the Haimaru triplets sprawled across the threshold. "Thanks guys, but we need to head out now."

All three ninken rose and yawned, revealing their teeth, as Itachi slipped past them, giving each one a quick stroke between the ears as he did so.

"I will see you again this evening?"

"Sure." Hana smirked, taking the opportunity to give him another quick kiss. "I'll be waiting."

.

"Alright." Itachi said as he led his team back to their normal training ground. "Since you have done such a good job, it is time for you to learn something. Can any of you perform the tree-walking?"

Both Naruto and Hinata raised their hands and Kiba sighed.

"Water walking?"

Both Naruto and Hinata nodded and Itachi shrugged, then made a _Kage Bunshin_.

"Alright. Kiba, you and Akamaru are with me." The clone said, leading the duo towards the trees as Itachi looked at the other two genin.

"So, I guess that it is time for you to show me what other skills you have."

"Hai, sensei!"


	9. Mission Choice

"A C-rank already?" Hiruzen said curiously, looking at Itachi and the trio of genin lined up behind him. "It has only been a month and a half, are you certain that you are not pushing them too hard?"

"No, Lord Hokage." Itachi said. "Ruto has shown that he has virtually mastered the _Kage Bunshin_ , making him a literal one-man army. When you include his _Kekkai Genkai_ , his battlefield potential is quite terrifying. Hinata has shown she is very skilled in _Juho_ and above-average with thrown weapons while Kiba and Akamaru have pushed themselves to the point that they have learned several of the more advanced jutsu of the Inuzuka. I intend to start them all on their elemental affinities soon, I believe that they have reached the level that will allow them to do so."

Hiruzen nodded. "All right, I can see that you have put quite a bit of thought into this. We have an upcoming escort mission in a couple of days that I think will suit your team."

"Thank you, Lord Hokage." Itachi said, then he looked round and smiled at one of the group that had just entered the mission hall.

"Little brother."

"Big brother." Sasuke replied with a small smile.

"Kurenai, Shino-san, Sakura-chan."

Kurenai nodded back as she led her team to the mission desk.

"Another D-rank please."

"Of course."

As Kurenai accepted the proffered scroll, Sakura gave them a calculating look.

"Aren't you getting a D-rank too?"

"We're getting a C-rank!" Kiba said before either of his team-mates could silence him and Sasuke looked slightly affronted.

"What? But…"

Itachi gave his younger brother a quelling look even as Kurenai sighed. "I don't think that you are quite ready for a C-rank yet."

"How about a test?" Itachi countered. "We meet up after you have done your mission and our students fight. Whichever team wins, gets the mission."

Kurenai stood still for a few moments, thinking it through, then she nodded.

"All right."

"Then we had better take a D-rank as well so that we do not have an unfair advantage." Itachi said, turning to accept a scroll.

.

"The C-rank is ours." Sakura gloated as Itachi's team appeared, causing the rest of her team to stare at her. "What? You know I'm right."

"How did you come to that conclusion?" Sasuke asked curiously and Sakura shrugged.

"Hey, Ruto and Hinata may have been the top two rookies of the year, but Sasuke-kun and I were pretty damned close and they've got Kiba, the dead last. Whoever goes against Kiba will win while Shino can drain the chakra of whoever he's up against and Sasuke-kun can zap whever he's against."

Sasuke smirked as he played a small bolt of electricity between two of his fingers. He had learned about his _Raiton_ affinity and had worked almost obsessively to get it to a usable level, although he could do little more than deliver temporarily paralyzing shocks.

"And you?" Shino asked.

"And I can slap down whoever _I_ go against." Sakura smirked. "I spar against Ino sometimes, and I'm getting good."

"We will see." Shino droned as Itachi greeted Kurenai.

"How should we do this?" Kurenai asked. "Best of three or battle royale?"

"Battle Royale." Itachi replied almost instantly. "It will help in testing their teamwork as well."

Kurenai raised one eyebrow at the certainty in his voice, but she simply nodded. "Rules?"

"We use training field 35, it has several different terrains which will increase the difficulty level and I do not believe that either of our teams has used it yet, thus negating the 'home field' advantage. Anyone goes out of the training field, they are out of the fight. No lethal strikes and if we think it is getting too dangerous, we stop it."

"Agreed." Kerenai said, noting that Itachi had gone out of his way to not try and stack the contest. "Alright team, we're heading out!"

"Team 7, on me."

.

Sakura grinned as she and her team-mates squared off against Team 7.

"Ruto-kun?" Hinata whispered and Naruto nodded.

"I've already deployed some clones behind us, with some of them tasked with swapping you out if things get iffy."

"What's the plan?" Kiba asked.

"Shino is the greatest threat with his Kikkai, so we try to take him down first." Naruto replied quietly. "I'll send a dozen clones to trap the other two, but the chakra-draining abilities of those insects makes me think that my clones won't be that useful against him."

"So, Akamaru and me attack Shino first and Hinata follows us?"

"Sounds like a plan." Naruto said.

.

"Hinata's _Jyuuken_ could be a problem." Sasuke said slowly. "She'll be our primary target. Shino, can you drain her?"

"She uses _Juyo_ rather than _Jyuuken_ , and I believe that I can." Shino said in an almost emotionless tone.

"I'll slap down mutt-boy." Sakura said.

"And I have Ruto." Sasuke finished. "Alright, we go on command, that C-rank will be ours."

.

"They look quite eager." Kurenai said. "Do you want to start it, or shall I?"

Itachi shrugged and Kurenai looked at the six young teens.

"Begin!"

.

Sakura leapt forwards, then suddenly felt herself being grabbed by a dozen invisible hands. A quick glance sideways showed that Sasuke was likewise suspended in mid-air, even as Kiba and Akamaru dashed forwards, aiming at Shino who was disgorging his Kikkai as fast as he could.

"Fang over fang!"

Shino _almost_ managed to avoid the twin twisters of destruction, but the glancing impact knocked him off-balance for just a few seconds too long.

"You are within range of my divination! Eight trigrams – thirty-two palms!"

Hinata's palms blurred and Shino collapsed bonelessly onto the ground even as Naruto strolled up to stand between the struggling Sakura and Sasuke, unsheathing a pair of kunai and holding them to their necks.

"I think we win."

.

Kurenai's jaw dropped and she reflexively unleashed a burst of chakra to dispel any genjutsu. When the scene in front of her remained unchanged, with two of her students hovering at blade-point in mid-air, she turned to Itachi.

"…how?"

" _Toton Kekkai Genkai_ combined with _Kage Bunshin_." Itachi said with a slight smirk.

"Damn." Kurenai cursed. "How in Kami's name are we supposed to be able to stand up to… to _whatever_ that was?"

"I have already planned out several possible counters." Itachi said, looking at where Sakura was kneeling over Shino, her hands glowing pale green. On Shino's other side, Hinata was doing the same thing. "I see that I am not the only one who is encouraging their Kunoichi to learn medical ninjutsu."

"That and Genjutsu." Kurenai said. "Her chakra control is as close to perfect as it is possible to be, although her reserves still need more work."

"Ruto has the opposite problem." Itachi commented. "He uses _Kage Bunshin_ to help him manage his control. He has near-Kage-level chakra."

Kurenai whistled as Itachi turned his attention back to where Shino was sitting up, still rather groggy.

.

"Damn, that was _awesome_!" Kiba laughed as they followed Itachi to their normal training ground. "I mean, you've got your own house, a girl who loves you and a _Kekkai Genkai_ that lets you kick people's asses without them even knowing that you're there! You have to be the _luckiest_ person ever!"

"The reason I'm lucky is walking just next to me." Naruto replied, giving Hinata a one-armed hug. "If not for Hinata-Hime, I wouldn't be here now."

Hinata blushed at the praise, but nodded in confirmation as they reached their destination. Itachi led them to the middle of the field, then sat down and motioned for them to follow suit.

"Our mission is to escort a bridge builder back to the Land of Waves." Itachi said, frowning at the scroll. "It is classified as a C-rank. For the way there, we will be limited to civilian speed. For the way back, we will be practicing branch leaping. Comments?"

"If we are travelling at civilian speeds on the way there, we'll need to pack for several weeks, maybe even a month." Naruto offered and Itachi nodded in approval.

"Tents." Hinata blushed, earning a raised eyebrow. "Ummmm, Ruto-kun and I already have a tent…"

Itachi's eyebrow lifted further as he considered it. "I… see. You are betrothed, so I should have expected it."

For a moment, an uncomfortable silence settled over the field, a silence broken by Kiba who had completely failed to notice the emotional atmosphere.

"I can get a one-man tent from my clan's warehouse." Kiba said with a grin. "Um, Itachi-sensei…"

"I keep a field kit prepared at all times." Itachi said. "A tent is part of it."

"Medical supplies." Hinata added, stroking a scroll stored in an inside pocket, earning another nod of approval.

"I have a basic first-aid kit as well." Naruto added and Kiba perked up.

"I have a vet-kit which doubles as a medical kit."

Hinata blinked. "Kiba-san, would you mind if I sought lessons from Hana-san so that if Akamaru gets hurt, I know how to help him?"

"Sis would love to get a helper at the clinic." Kiba shrugged. "I know the basic stuff, but I tend to concentrate on the attacking stuff."

"I will be happy to rearrange the training sessions to help you accommodate that." Itachi said, earning a look of gratitude from both Kiba and Hinata. "Bring your mission packs to the veterinary clinic tomorrow at ten so that I can check them. Do not worry about rations yet, we shall collect them from the Akamichi commissary tomorrow. Unless you have spent all your money already, you should have enough for several weeks of rations."

Kiba paused, then exchanged glances with Akamaru. "Sorry buddy, looks like we'll have to wait until _after_ the mission to get that new basket for you."

.

The bell above the door jangled and Hana looked up, as did the three large grey dogs lying in various corners of the office.

"Hinata, Ruto." She smiled in greeting. "Itachi-kun and my bro are waiting out the back. Just head through."

"Thank you, Hana-sama." Naruto replied with a slight bow as he and Hinata moved to the indicated door. Opening it, Naruto briefly scanned the inside of the room before moving aside to let Hinata through.

"You realize that Hinata could have used her _Byakugan_ , it would have been less obvious." Itachi noted and Hinata and Ruto glanced at each other.

"Ah… sorry, Itachi-sensei. I… I didn't…"

"It is alright, Hinata-chan." Itachi said, interrupting her apology. "I know about the tradition of not using the _Byakugan_ in public within the walls of Konoha without a proper reason. Bear in mind, though, that the rules are different beyond the walls."

"Hai, Itachi-sensei."

"Excellent." Itachi said. "Now that you are all here, move to a table and unpack. I want to see all of your weapons and supplies."

The clink of weapons and rustling of scrolls briefly filled the room, then Itachi motioned for them to move to his table.

"As you can see, I have my camping equipment sealed in scrolls for ease of transport. Spare clothing is in this one, camping rations in this one. I have several bars of emergency rations in this pouch for use while moving. For weapons, I have a tanto, thirty kunai, thirty shuriken and three rolls of ninja wire. I also have several packs of seal tags, explosive, gas, flash-bang and a few extras and some scrolls that you do not need to learn about at this time. Now, let us see what Hinata has."

Hinata moved to behind her table. "My medical kit is in this scroll with the basics stored in this pouch for emergencies. Ko-san was kind enough to advise me. This scroll contains camping gear while this one contains rations, I have several ration bars in this pouch as well. Although I rely mainly on _Juho_ , I have ten Kunai and twenty Shuriken as well as a roll of ninja wire. Finally, this scroll holds clothing."

"Excellent." Itachi said, picking up one of the Kunai and examining it. "You look after your weapons very well."

"Th… thank you, Itachi-sensei."

"Kiba?"

Kiba nodded and strode across to his table. "I have a standard Inuzuka camping pack scroll, a standard Inuzuka field medical kit, two scrolls of rations for myself and Akamaru. Fifteen Kunai, twenty Shuriken and a roll of ninja wire."

"Good." Itachi said, picking up the camping scroll and reading the inscription. "A type 3 camping scroll, an excellent choice for an escort mission."

"Yeah, sis told me what to pick and why." Kiba admitted and Itachi nodded in approval.

"Only an idiot turns down advice. I am glad that you are not an idiot."

As Kiba grinned, Itachi turned his attention to the final member of the party.

"Ruto, why is your table almost empty?"

"It isn't." Naruto said as his hand seemed to vanish for a moment, reappearing with a kunai. "I use pouches woven from my hair, my _Kekkai Genkai_ means that the pouches are invisible, thus I can carry them while using my invisibility."

"Impressive." Itachi admitted, letting Naruto hand him one of the pouches so that he could examine it. "What is your load-out?"

"Well, I rely mainly on my _Toton_ Bloodlimit, so I carry a dozen kunai, two dozen shuriken and two rolls of ninja wire. The visible pouch contains my camping scroll, although Hinata-Hime carries the tent, as well as my rations and extra clothes. I also keep a few ration bars and similar on me."

"Yes, I can see the problems that your bloodlimit brings." Itachi mused. "Your load-out is lighter than the others, but with your _Kage Bunshin_ abilities, I do not see that as an insurmountable problem."

Nruto nodded as he reclaimed the pouches and started to reattach them to his uniform.

"Do you not have to remove your clothing to vanish?"

Naruto shook his head. "Only the mask, gloves and coat. The rest is made from materials that can channel my chakra. Watch."

Itachi's eyebrows shot up as Naruto shed the mask, gloves and coat before vanishing.

"Useful."

"Expensive." Naruto countered as his clothing reappeared and he donned the mask and gloves once more. "This outfit was a gift, I'd need to take a B-rank mission or higher to afford another."

"I shall keep that in mind." Itachi noted. "You may all re-pack your load-outs, they are satisfactory."

.

Kiba waved as the rest of his team vanished, Itachi-sensei towards the Uchiha compound and the lovebirds towards their cottage.

"So, you finally have a C-rank." Hana said, coming up behind him and leaning on the doorframe. "Itachi-kun did say that you were improving quite rapidly, he wouldn't have asked for a C-rank if he didn't think you could handle it."

"Yeah, I'm awesome!" Kiba boasted, then he sighed and crouched to stroke Akamaru. "But Ruto's even more awesome. He uses _invisible clones_!"

"Keep it quiet, bro." Hana warned and Kiba looked at her in confusion. "Those are powerful weapons that enemies won't expect and the longer they fail to learn of them, the more successes your team will be able to claim before they wise up. It's why several of _our_ clan techniques are banned from being used unless you can ensure that there will be no witnesses or survivors to talk about it. Most clans have the same thing, techniques that they hold onto tightly in order to provide a trump card when truly needed."

Kiba nodded slowly, then he followed his sister back into the clinic. Sitting down, he scooped Akamaru up and placed him in his lap so that he could continue stroking him.

"Sis…"

Hana looked at him curiously.

"I heard… I heard that Ruto was going to form his own clan. Isn't that rather hard to do?"

"I don't know that much about how to found clans yet. You're better off talking to mom about that." Hana said with a slight shrug.

Kiba nodded. "Okay, thanks."

.

"Kaasan?"

Inuzuka Tsume looked up from the ever-damned paperwork to see Kiba stood in the study doorway. Eagerly seeing him as an excuse to put off the paperwork, she waved him in.

"Hey, pup. What you after?"

"Information about clan founding." Kiba said, then he caught his mother's confused expression. "Not for me. I heard that Ruto was going to become a clan leader at some point and I wanted to know about what it meant and if I could help him."

Tsume leaned back in her chair, one hand dropping to rub the ears of Kuromaru, who was lounging on the floor.

"Ruto… I assume that you mean Yurei Ruto, the boy with the _Toton Kekkei Genkai_ , the one that means no-one can see or smell him?"

"My team-mate." Kiba confirmed and Tsume nodded.

"A bloodlimit like that is almost a gruantee of being allowed to form a clan, he only needs four clans to vote in approval, assuming he has a fiancee."

"Hinata." Kiba supplied and Tsume's eyebrows lifted slightly.

"Well, that gives him the Hyuuga vote. Any other clans that you know of linked to him?"

"The Yamanaka, Nara and Akamichi all seem to like him." Kiba said. "We often train with team ten and Ino mentioned that the Hyuuga attend the gatherings."

"That's four votes." Tsume nodded. "When he gets old enough, he will become a clan head. I believe that I will vote for him as well, having you on his team means that we Inuzuka have a chance of being clan-allies with his clan."

"Why is that so important?" Kiba asked curiously. "I mean, he's only one person…"

"With a _Kekkei Genkai_ that makes him almost unbeatable." Tsume countered. "With his children inheriting it, and their children, it will only be a few generations until Konoha becomes _the_ power in the Elemental Nations because of his clan. If he learns to move silently as well…"

"He's already pretty quiet." Kiba offered.

"…then his clan will become the perfect assassins, completely unstoppable." Tsume finished. "It's no wonder that the Hyuuga sought to link him to their clan by marriage, if his invisibility stretches to the _Byakugan_ then they would be terrified of having him as an enemy."

"Hinata and Hanabi-chan are the only two Hyuuga who can see him." Kiba said with a slight shrug. "Itachi-sensei can't see him even using his _Sharingan_ , but he can just about make out Ruto's _Kage Bunshin_."

Tsume whistled in amazement.

"Kiba, after you lot get back from your mission, you are going to give me a _full_ debriefing on Ruto's abilities, and then you are going to act as my messenger. There is _no_ way that I am letting the Inuzuka miss making allies with a clan as powerful as his is going to be."


	10. Escort

"Good, you are all here with ten minutes to spare." Itachi said approvingly. "This is our client, Tazuna. We shall be escorting him to the Land of Waves so that he can finish building his bridge. We can expect bandits. Thoughts?"

Hinata raised a hand and Itachi nodded for her to speak.

"I can use my _Byakugan_ to check the surrounding area every so often. I cannot have it permanently on…"

"Because of the chakra cost." Itachi finished smoothly. "You know your limits well."

"Put me at the front and I can sniff out threats, as can Akamaru here." Kiba piped up, earning another approving nod.

"I'll send out some of my clones occasionally out to sweep the area as well as keeping a group behind us as we discussed." Naruto said, earning a nod.

"Excellent. Kiba, you and Akamaru will take the lead as you suggested. Hinata and Ruto, you will flank Tazuna and perform the tasks that you have suggested. Use the offset diamond formation. I will bring up the rear."

The three genin nodded and took their places, glancing at Tazuna, whose hand kept twitching towards the flask on his belt before he glanced at Itachi and flinched slightly.

"Kiba, lead us to the guard shack."

Kiba nodded and started to walk forwards towards the open gates. To the right of them was an open-fronted hut with two people sat behind the counter. One of them looked curiously at the party as Itachi walked over to them.

"Team seven plus client departing for escort mission to the Land of Waves." Itachi said, proffering the mission scroll. One of the men behind the counter accepted it and unrolled it, examining it closely, before nodding and handing it back.

"Check confirmed, good luck, Itachi-san."

"Thank you." Itachi said, then he turned to face the team. "It is time to move out."

Kiba nodded and moved forwards, followed by Hinata and Naruto who made sure to keep Tazuna between them.

"Ruto, have you deployed any clones yet?"

"Just six, behind us." Naruto replied, causing Tazuna to glance back in perplexity. "Even with _my_ chakra reserves, I would prefer to wait until we are further from Konoha before sending out scouting clones."

"Agreed." Itachi said. "It will take us two days to clear the regularly-patrolled areas. Keep the _Kawarimi_ clones ready, but do not worry about the scouting ones until then."

"Yes, sensei."

As they walked, Naruto looked around him with interest. Hinata briefly activated her _Byakugan_ to see what had caught his attention, but didn't see anything unusual, so she decided to simply ask.

"Is something wrong, Ruto-kun?"

"Hmm? Oh, sorry." Naruto responded. "No, it's just that this is my first time actually outside Konoha. The trees look slightly different."

"They were grown by the First Hokage in a single Jutsu." Itachi said from behind them. "Senju Hirashima changed the grass plains into this forest by means of his _Kekkei Genkai_ , _Mokouton_ , Wood release, the ability to create and manipulate plants."

"Wow." Kiba said from ahead of them. "That's amazing!"

"The Senju and the Uchiha worked together to make Konoha, but when it came to choosing who the first Hokage should be, Uchiha Madara and Senju Hirashima fought at what would become the Valley of the End. Madara summoned the greatest of the Biju, the Kyuubi no Kitsune, but the Kyuubi was sealed away by Hirashima's wife, Senju Mito, born Uzumaki Mito. She became the first Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi and stood by her husband's side when he was granted the title of Hokage."

"You said that she was the first Jinchuuriki." Kiba noted. "There were others?"

"Two." Itachi said. "The second was Mito's niece, Uzumaki Kushina, the Red-hot Habanero, who traveled from Uzushiogakure to take on the burden before Mito finally passed away. She met, fell in love with and married Namikaze Minato, the one who would become the Yondaime Hokage and who became known as the Yellow Flash."

"What happened to her?" Hinata asked before she could stop herself.

"When a female Jinchuuriki gives birth, their seal weakens for a time. The Kyuubi managed to escape and inflicted a mortal wound on her before trying to attack Konoha. The Yondaime and Kushina worked together, sacrificing themselves to seal the Kyuubi away once more into their son, Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto."

"I heard about him." Kiba realised. "He died in a freak accident, didn't he. Mum was very upset when she heard that he was dead, she'd been trying to get permission to adopt him since she was good friends with his mum."

"And when his lineage was revealed, many people had to take a long look at themselves." Itachi agreed. "It convinced my father to abandon his plan to take control of Konoha and to instead try a different path."

"Is that why he and my father are now the Hokage's advisors after the Sandaime's old team-mates were asked to retire a few years ago?" Hinata asked, earning a nod of approval.

"Indeed, although the explanation is more complex than that. I shall explain later, if you wish." Itachi said. "It also led to the public revelation that Madara was, at least recently, still alive and may be so even now."

"But he'd be _ancient_!" Kiba protested.

"The _Sharingan_ has several different levels to it, Kiba." Itachi said calmly. "You have all seen the first three levels, the one-, two- and three-tomoe _Sharingan_ , but there are two more levels. The next is the _Mangekyo Sharingan_ which is gained through sorrow. It imparts several powers which are almost impossible to counter, although the user's eyesight fades quite rapidly as a result unless certain actions are taken. The final level is known as the _Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan_ which has similar powers, but without the failing eyesight and with the conferring of immortality. If you find yourself facing an Uchiha with a _Sharingan_ that is not of the first three levels, your best chance of survival is to run. My cousin Shisui has a _Mangekyo Sharingan_ , although he prefers not to use it due to the price it exacts."

"Whoah." Kiba breathed and Itachi nodded.

"I know of a defense against the _Sharingan_ , one which also works against the _Byakugan_." Naruto offered and Itachi raised his eyebrows slightly.

"Then when we stop for the night, I will ask you to demonstrate. I promise that I will not pass the information on without your permission."

"Meh, I can't do it myself due to my invisible chakra, but the technique is pretty much just a simple Chakra Flare." Naruto shrugged and Itachi's brows rose higher.

"Fascinating. Such a technique would be devastating if used correctly in combat against an unprepared Dojutsu-using adversary."

"Yeah, most ninja with a _Kekkai Genkai_ tend to rely on them a bit too much, myself included." Naruto said, turning to look at Hinata who nodded with a gentle smile of remembrance.

"Yes, Ruto-kun. Using your idea to defeat my father in training was one of your better decisions."

"Ah, so _that_ is why the Hyuuga have begun to train to not rely on their _Byakugan_." Itachi realized."I had wondered about that."

"You know…" Naruto mused, "If I used my clones to carry Tazuna, we could move a lot faster."

"We will try it out tomorrow,to see if it works." Itachi said after a long moment considering it. "Just remember, the comfort and safety of our client is our highest priority and you have not quite perfected branch-leaping yet."

"Ah, good point, sensei." Naruto admitted while Hinata tried not to giggle.

.

"We will set up camp here." Itachi announced as he looked round the clearing with the stream along one side. "Put up your tents, I will create a latrine. Ruto, we will need firewood."

Hinata and Naruto instantly started to set up their tent, working together with the ease of familiarity while Kiba pulled out his scroll and unsealed his own tent, then he paused.

"Shouldn't you be getting… whoah, that's freaky."

Tazuna stared at the pieces of wood floating to the middle of the clearing, then he looked suspiciously at the flask that he had just drunk from. With an air of deliberation, he held the flask to one side and poured the contents onto the ground before walking over to the stream. Kneeling down, he stuck his head into it, surfacing only to gasp for air.

"Why is he doing that?" Itachi asked as he returned to the clearing. Kiba shrugged.

"Dunno. He poured his drink away too."

Itachi blinked and walked over to their client. "Tazuna-san, are you feeling alright?"

"I _knew_ that was a bad batch of Sake." Tazuna moaned as he pulled himself to his feet. "It was making me hallucinate. I gotta go sober from now on."

Itachi opened his mouth, then thought better of what he was about to say.

"If you can sit by the fire, I will see to setting up your tent."

Tazuna nodded in thanks and staggered past Itachi, who watched him go.

"Why do I suspect Ruto had something to do with this?" He mused to himself.

.

"Itachi?"

"Yes, Tazuna-san?"

Tazuna gave a significant glance at one of the tents and Itachi followed his gaze. The tent in question was the one that Hinata and Naruto had gone to sleep in, although Naruto had deployed several clones around to provide sentries.

"What?"

"Is Ruto a girl?"

Itachi stared at Tazuna in confusion. "No, he is a boy. Why do you ask?"

"Then… Hinata…"

"Is a girl. I do not see where you are going with this."

"A boy and a girl sharing the same tent? Is that normal?"

"Since they are betrothed, I see no problem with it." Itachi supplied and Tazuna stared at him.

"B… b… betrothed?"

"Indeed." Itachi said as he pulled the final two fish off the fire. Handing one to the confused older man, he took a bite before continuing his explanation.

"Ruto and Hinata have been betrothed since before they started the Academy. When they entered the Academy, Hinata moved into Ruto's house so that they could be together. Hinata and her younger sister are the only two who have seen Ruto without his coverings, although Hinata has several hand-drawn pictures of him. She is a good artist."

Tazuna blinked several times, then shook his head. "Ninjas, I'll never understand you people. Betrothing at, what Ten? Nine? Eight? Eight! That's what the damn nobles do!"

"The circumstances were rather unusual." Itachi said with a slight shrug. "It is not something that normally happens."

Tazuna nodded, then gave his empty Sake flask a longing look before sighing.

"Well, I'm headed for my bedroll, we've got a lot of walking tomorrow."

Itachi watched his client shamble off, then half-turned to look at the smallest tent. "Couldn't sleep?"

Kiba half-emerged, a slightly embarrassed look on his face and Itachi moved round to sit closer to him.

"How are you feeling?"

"Nervous, kinda." Kiba said with an embarrassed shrug. "Dunno how to put it…"

"This is your first mission outside Konoha as well as your first C-rank." Itachi said understandingly. "Some nervousness is only to be expected, this is all new to you, after all. Is Akamaru well?"

"He dropped right off." Kiba smiled, then he fought down a yawn.

"I think you should join him." Itachi said with a slight smile. "Go and hunt your dreams together. We are still in the patrol range, so we will not need to stand a full watch tonight."

"Thanks, sensei." Kiba yawned as he wriggled back into his tent. Itachi nodded and made a _Kage Bunshin_.

"Wake me if anything happens." He commanded and the clone nodded as Itachi made his way towards his own bedroll.

.

Itachi's eyes opened as the smell of breakfast drifted into his tent. Opening the flap, he looked out to see Hinata and Naruto working together over the small campfire, Naruto clad in his Hakami-and-happurai combo. Opposite them sat Tazuna, eyes wide and transfixed on the gap in the Happurai where Naruto's face would have been had he been visible while Kiba sat to one side, brushing Akamaru's fur.

All of the other tents had been packed and sealed.

Itachi pulled himself out of his tent and, in fast, methodical fashion, collapsed and sealed it before turning round and accepting the bowl of food offered to him by Hinata.

"This smells very nice." Itachi said as he pulled a spoon out and Hinata blushed and looked away.

"Th… thank you. It's a recipe that Ko-san gave to me and I never got to try out, it's supposed to be very useful on missions."

Itachi took a taste of the stew and nodded. "I recognize the recipe. Protein, carbohydrates, vitamins… in virtually the same proportions as a ration bar but with a far better taste. An excellent meal, Hinata-sama."

Hinata's blush intensified as she glanced over to where Akamaru was busy licking his bowl clean while Kiba was using his _puppy-dog-eyes_ as he held out his bowl for a second serving.

"We will be trying to cover more distance today." Itachi said after he finished the bowl and handed it to Hinata for a refill. "Ruto, about what you suggested…"

Naruto nodded and pulled out a scroll that Itachi hadn't seen before. With a quick application of chakra, several lightweight open sedan chairs comprising four poles, a length of rope and a piece of fabric, appeared.

"Interesting." Itachi said. "I shall run, so…"

Naruto re-sealed one of the chairs, leaving three.

"One is for Tazuna…" Itachi mused, then he nodded. "Of course. Who else would you trust enough to carry Hinata, also allowing her to use her _Byakugan_ more."

"I'll run as well." Kiba said with a grin. "I'm an Inuzuka, we love to run."

"Agreed." Itachi said as another chair vanished into the scroll.

"I… I don't want any special treatment." Hinata said, then she paused as Naruto leaned forwards to whisper in her ear. "Oh. Alright."

"Then we move out after everyone has finished their breakfast." Itachi said, handing his empty bowl over to be washed and stored. "Kiba, a third bowl will only slow you down."

"But it's so tasty!" Kiba moaned as Hinata sealed the remaining food into a scroll and stowed it. "Awwww."

"Kiba…" Hinata said in warning and Kiba looked away.

"Okay. So, when are we heading out? I got the need, the need for speed!"

"He's… he's _really_ invisible!?" Tazuna finally managed as Naruto started donning his mask, coat and gloves.

.

Tazuna looked at the forest blurring past, then down at the two handles stretching out in front of the chair. Even though he _knew_ that there was a quartet of clones carrying him, he couldn't quite shake the feeling that the chair was actually flying just above the ground.

"Itachi-sensei, I can see two ninja hiding in a genjutsu of a puddle just over the next hill." Hianata said urgently and Itachi nodded.

"I see. Ruto, fade out and run ahead. I want this paralysis tag slapped down just behind them, it will hold them long enough for us to get past them. Once we are past them, deploy a dozen clones to watch and intercept if they pursue us."

Naruto nodded and quickly shed his coat, mask and gloves, passing them to Hinata who cradled them in her lap. Accepting the tag, he accelerated off, fading into invisibility as he did so.

"That is freaky." Tazuna said in a shaking voice and Itachi glanced at him in amusement.

"We are _ninja_. Freakiness is normal to us."

"Ruto-kun has placed the tag." Hinata said just as they crested the hill. At the bottom of the gentle slope was a puddle and Itachi briefly activated his _Sharingan_ before they raced past the puddle. As they headed up the next slope, Hinata leaned slightly towards him.

"They've managed to break free of the tag. Ruto has them flanked with clones."

"Good. Halt!"

The group came to a quick stop with Tazuna grabbing onto the sides of his chair to avoid being tipped out by the sudden deceleration. Both chairs were promptly placed on the ground and Hinata took up position just in front of Tazuna, ready to defend him.

"Those are Gozu and Meizu." Itachi said as the duo emerged from their illusory puddle and began running towards them, the spiked chain between them glinting in the sunlight. "They are well known for their collaboration techniques. Ruto clones, I need one of you to relay an order by dispelling. When those two get to thirty paces, I want them dog-piled and flattened. Hinata, I want the one with two horns on his Hitai-ate taken down as fast as possible. The other one is the brains of the pair."

Hinata nodded even as a _pop_ heralded the dispelling of a clone, then she quickly started whispering to a second clone. Itachi turned his attention to the approaching brothers as the second clone also dispelled itself, then the brothers suddenly found themselves slammed into the ground. Before they could even begin to try getting up, Hinata appeared between them and struck them both with _Juho_ strikes, paralyzing them both.

"Well done." Itachi said as he walked forwards, pulling a pair of red-bordered scrolls out of his pouch. Unrolling one of them, he rolled Meizu onto it and sealed him into the scroll before turning to Gozu.

"Now, why did you attack us?"

Gozu tried to look away but Itachi's _Sharingan_ held his gaze. After a long moment, Gozu shuddered and fainted.

"Interesting." Itachi mused as he sealed Gozu away. "It would seem that we may have to seek reinforcements since this is not a C-rank mission."

Tazuna swallowed nervously as Itachi slowly rose and stared at him.

"As I am certain you hoped for, we can not abandon this mission without damaging Konoha's reputation. Conversely, should we continue without exacting a penalty, other clients will be tempted to try to lie to us in order to gain our services cheaper."

Tazuna started to sweat as Itachi continued to stare at him, then Itachi nodded.

"The bridge you are building will generate a large profit for Wave. You will pay us for the C-rank upon completion of the mission and then Wave will pay for the true ranking of A-rank by installments as provided by a percentage of the profits until the mission is paid off. Since you gained our services under false pretenses, this is not a negotiation. Accept or refuse, if it is the latter then we shall declare you to be in breach of contract and Konoha shall refuse to provide aid in the future."

"I… I…" Tazuna began before he slumped. "Alright."

"I am glad that you decided to see reason." Itachi said as his hands flew through several seals before he slammed them onto the ground. A raven appeared in a burst of smoke and Itachi held up the two scrolls which he had tied together while talking.

"Take these two to the Hokage and tell him that the mission was mis-ranked. Reinforcements would be welcomed since I believe that we will be facing a minimum of one A-ranked nuke-nin plus allies."

The raven nodded and took the proffered string in its beak before taking wing. As it flew away, Itachi turned back to Tazuna.

"Before we continue on our way, I believe it would be best if you told me _everything_ you know about who and what we may be facing."


	11. Reinforced

"Whoah." Kiba breathed in awe as the boat passed under the enormous bridge looming out of the fog. "That is _awesome_!"

"It will free Wave from Gato's grasp." Tazuna said proudly. "I designed it myself."

"Stay alert." Itachi said from his position in the aft of the boat. "The best time for an ambush will be as we are debarking since the enemy does not know that you can all water-walk."

Hinata and Naruto both nodded in understanding while Kiba merely closed his eyes and took several sniffs of the air.

"Once we land, it'll take about half an hour to reach home." Tazuna added.

"Barring incidents." Itachi cautioned, then he looked at the fog, activating his _Sharingan_ briefly. "I do not see any chakra in this mist, it is natural."

"Paranoia?" Kiba muttered under his breath.

"Experience." Itachi countered and Kiba blushed as he realized that he had been overheard. "As I am dating Hana, I have learned a few things from her. One of them is how to sharpen my hearing."

"I _don't_ want to know what else you've learned from her!" Kiba said hurriedly and Hinata struggled to not laugh before briefly activating her _Byakugan_.

"I do not see anything at the shoreline, sensei."

"Keep your guard up anyway." Itachi said. "A large number of fatalities on missions can be attributed to people believing that they have passed all the dangerous parts and relaxing too early."

"You ninja are _paranoid_." Tazuna mumbled and Itachi gave him a _look_.

"We ninja must live with the constant threat of combat. It is not paranoia, it is simple preparedness."

The boat came to a stop beside a small, ramshackle jetty. Rather than use it, Itachi merely stepped out of the boat and used his water-walking to reach the shore where he waited for the others to join him.

"Hinata?"

Hinata nodded and activated her _Byakugan_ before frowning.

"Sensei, I am seeing… _threads_ of chakra starting to infuse the fog. If it gets any worse, it will begin to affect my range."

Itachi frowned. "Ruto, I want a wave of clones sent ahead to scout out as well as a group ready to _kawarimi_ should we be attacked."

Naruto nodded and made a familiar hand-seal. A _pop_ heralded the forming of the clones and Itachi's thoughtful frown deepened as the passage of the scouting clones stirred the fog in their wake.

"Keep a sharp watch out. The Demon Twins were working for an A-ranked nukenin, but I couldn't quite identify him. An attack can come at any time. We will use the same formation as we started with."

Kiba moved to the front, sniffing the air. Hinata activated her _Byakugan_ before growling with annoyance.

"Sensei, the chakra level is starting to affect my _Byakugan_. My visual range is already down by a quarter."

"Understood, keep watching at regular intervals." Itachi said, his _Sharingan_ flaring into life. "Let's move out."

.

Even as Hinata inhaled sharply, Kiba hurled a brace of Kunai at a bush ahead of them. Akamaru charged into the bush and emerged a moment later towing a shivering white hare.

"Sensei, there was someone in there before he… watch out!" Hinata finished with a shout. Before they could even duck, a flying giant sword sliced through them all and embedded into a tree.

"Nice work with the _kawarimi_ , Ruto." Itachi said quietly as the group looked at the cloud that marked the dispelling of the clones that had sacrificed themselves. "That sword… Momochi Zabuza, the Demon of the Bloody Mist."

As if summoned by his name, Zabuza appeared standing atop his blade, staring at the group.

"Impressive trick. You know who I am and I know who you are… Uchiha Itachi, _Sharingan Master_."

Itachi inclined his head slightly in confirmation even as he subtly motioned for the others to stand back. "I assume that you are here for my client?"

"If you mean that old drunk, yeah." Zabuza agreed and Itachi tilted his head slightly, his _Sharingan_ flaring as he drew his tanto.

"You realize that I will fight you."

"Wouldn't have it any other way." Zabuza smirked, his bloodthirsty grin identifiable even through the bandages wrapped around his lower face. "You know that your fancy eyes won't help you, right?"

Itachi dropped into a combat crouch as the fog around them suddenly grew in density, then Zabuza's voice echoed through the woods.

"Eight choices. Liver, lungs, spine, clavicle vein, jugular vein, brain, kidneys, heart. Which one should I go… what the…?"

" _Great Breakthrough_!"

Eight of Naruto's clones performed the wind jutsu at the same instant, blasting away the fog to reveal Zabuza a dozen paces away.

"A wind user?" He growled in annoyance. "This suddenly became a great deal more difficult."

"You have no idea." Itachi said as he seemed to materialize in front of Zabuza, delivering a series of blurred strikes that Zabuza barely managed to block or avoid. As they strained against each other, Zabuza grunted as a cut suddenly opened on his arm.

"You're good."

"That was not me." Itachi said in confusion and Zabuza blinked.

"What do you mean… rruurrrgh…"

Reaching up, Zabuza grabbed at the wound on his right bicep and frowned.

"What the hell, an invisible kunai? How the hell does… wha?"

A brief cloud of smoke briefly surrounded Zabuza's hand, then he was sent staggering backwards with a brief foot-shaped indentation on his cheek.

"What the hell is going on?" He roared before he seemed to explode into a puddle of water.

"Sensei! He switched with a _Mizu Bunshin_ on your right!" Hinata shouted and Itachi spun, his eyes searching. "I'm seeing someone else as well, a masked person leaping through the trees! I don't know if it's on our side or Zabuza's!"

"A Hyuuga?" Zabuza grumbled as he stepped into view, his sword in a defensive position. "And that one looks like an Inuzuka… did you select them because they had the best chance against… owch!"

Another line of blood opened, this one across his chest and Zabuza spun, his sword ringing as it hit something.

"The hell? You have a stealth specialist as well? A damned good one, it seems."

Itachi accelerated forwards, his blade moving so fast that it looked like he was swinging a metal fan and Zabuza leapt backwards, parrying frantically.

"What the hell? Last I heard, you were an A-rank!"

"I am." Itachi said, then he froze as a pair of senbon sliced through the air…

…and suddenly stopped before falling to the ground.

Both Itachi and Zabuza stared at the two senbon which were motionless a hands-breadth from the ground, then Hinata screamed.

"Naruto! No! **_Noooo_**!"

Itachi inhaled sharply as he realized what had happened. The senbon that had been aimed at Zabuza by the unknown ninja that Hinata had mentioned earlier had hit Naruto, despite the astronomical odds against it.

He had just lost one of his students, the son of the Yondaime Hokage and the only wielder of a _Kekkei Genkai_ that put even his _Sharingan_ to shame.

He had lost one of his students.

He had _lost_ one of his _students_!

Itachi growled and glared at Zabuza, who paled at his expression… no. Not his expression. Itachi _felt_ his _Sharingan_ become… _more_. He felt new knowledge unfold in his mind, new powers wanting to be used.

He had the _Mangekyo Sharingan_.

" _Tsukiyomi_." He snarled and the world around them seemed to turn red and black. Zabuza struggled against the restraints that held him to a cross as Itachi slowly raised his tanto.

"You are the first to experience this power, one I read about in my clan scrolls but decided I did not want because of the cost." Itachi stated in a coldly furious voice. "For the next three days, you shall know what it is to suffer…"

Zabuza screamed as the blade of Itachi's sword pierced his lower torso.

.

"Naruto!" Hinata screamed as she ran to the body of her fiancee. As she dropped to her knees by his side, her eyes widened. "He… he's still alive!"

Carfully pulling out the senbon, Hinata used the _mystic palm_ technique to undo the damage that the senbon had wrought even as Zabuza collapsed, twitching, onto the ground nearby.

"Hinata?"

"He's still alive!" Hinata panted as she concentrated hard on healing the wounds. Itachi dropped to his knees beside her and carefully placed his hands on her shoulders. Hinata's breath caught as he began pouring purified medical chakra into her, then she took the proffered energy and channeled it to where it was needed. After a few minutes, she relaxed.

"He'll be alright, he just needs to rest."

"Good." Itachi sighed in relief as he stood up, then he looked round in confusion. "Where did Zabuza go?"

"This masked kid came outta nowhere and grabbed him before vanishing." Kiba said and Akamaru _yip_ ped in agreement. "What did you _do_ to him? He just went _down_!"

"A technique that will keep him out of our way for a week or so." Itachi said as Hinata unsealed a stretcher from her medical scroll. Itachi carefully maneuvered Naruto onto the stretcher, then stood up.

"Hinata, Kiba, you two carry Ruto. Tazuna, which way is it to your home?"

"…that way…" Tazuna said shakily.

"Then let us move." Itachi stated. "The sooner we get Ruto to shelter, the better."

.

"Tsunami? Tsunami!" Tazuna half-shouted as he entered the two-storey house.

"Father?" A voice replied and Itachi watched as a woman with hair as black as any Uchiha stepped out of what was probably the kitchen.

"Tsunami, these are the ninja who are going to help me finish the bridge to free us from Gato!" Tazuna said with a wide grin and Itachi stepped forwards, bowing slightly.

"I am Jonin-sensei Uchiha Itachi. These are my genin, Inuzuka Kiba and his ninken Akamaru, Hyuuga Hinata and on the stretcher is Yurei Ruto."

Tsunamai frowned slightly. "Uchiha-san, the stretcher isn't occupied."

Itachi pulled out a small coin and placed it on Naruto's chest, causing Tsunami's eyes to widen in shock.

"Ruto is invisible due to his _Toton Kekkei Genkei_. He took an injury in the recent fight and needs rest so that he can heal."

"I… he…" Tsunami began, then she closed her eyes and shook her head to re-gather her composure. "If you will come this way, we have a couple of spare rooms. They have two beds in each, but…"

"Hinata, you and Ruto will share a room. Kiba, you are with me."

"Wait," Tsunami protested, "A boy and girl in the same room without supervision?"

"Apparently they're betrothed." Tazuna shrugged. "It's a ninja thing."

"Oh…"

.

"…ow."

Hinata gasped and reached out, her hand lightly stoking her beloved's face.

"Welcome back, Naruto-kun." She whispered and then she smiled as an invisible hand caressed her cheek.

"Hinata-hime. What happened? Where are we?"

"We're at Tazuna's house and you got hit by an unexpected senbon that knocked you out." Hinata said with another smile, then she frowned. "Naruto, you have _Kage Bunshin_ , remember? Use _them_ to hit your enemies!"

"Hinata, what were the chances of it happening?" Naruto protested before he was enveloped in a hug.

"I was so scared." Hinata whispered "I was afraid that you'd die, I couldn't face losing you."

"I'll be more careful, I promise." Naruto whispered back.

.

"Welcome back." Itachi said with a slight smile as Naruto entered the room. "You had us worried, Ruto. We feared the worst."

"It unlocked Sensei's _Mangekyo_." Kiba chimed in helpfully and Itachi nodded.

"That is true, although it is different to Shisui's. I will need to practice some of the abilities it provides, but it is a welcome weapon of last resort. How are you feeling?"

"A little stiff, but I'll be fine by tomorrow." Naruto said as he sat down and accepted the bowl of rice. Raising his mask, he began to eat.

"That still freaks me out a bit." Kiba noted. "To see that food vanishing like that."

Hinata struggled to not giggle.

.

Zabuza's eyes slammed open and he managed to sit half-way up before his body rebelled, sending him back down onto his bed.

"Master?"

"Haku?" Zabuza wheezed and a dark-haired figure appeared.

"Master, what happened?"

"Some sort of Uchiha technique I heard about but never thought I'd see." Zabuza groaned. "Bastard had me chained and helpless in a genjutsu for three days as he stabbed me. I can barely feel my chakra…"

"Whatever he did drained you." Haku replied, hands carefully checking Zabuza's vitals. "Your chakra system will need to recover, it has been quite strained. Any attempt to use a soldier pill or anything similar will probably prove fatal."

"Dammit." Zabuza moaned, then his gaze sharpened. "How did they do that, anyway?"

"One of the genin seems to be naturally invisible." Haku said and Zabuza inhaled sharply in shock. "I watched them after the fight through an ice mirror. It would seem that when I tried to put you into a false-death state, my senbon hit the invisible one, knocking him out. They thought he had died…"

"And it activated the Uchiha's super-eyes." Zabuza finished. "Urgh, I feel _terrible_ , I ache all over."

"If I get the right herbs, I can cut your recovery time down to just under a week." Haku said soothingly. "Otherwise it will take almost a fortnight for you to recover from whatever the Uchiha did to you."

"Fine." Zabuza said as he closed his eyes. "Go ahead."

"Yes, master."

.

"Good morning." Itachi said in greeting as the trio of genin entered the room. "Ruto, status?"

"Fully recovered and ready, sensei." Naruto replied.

"Good. Since you are all up, we can analyse the fight with Zabuza. Let us start with the first technique you used, Ruto-kun. Clearing away the fog using a _Great Breakthrough_ was inspired."

"Thank you." Naruto said, then he shrugged. "I thought that since it was reducing Hinata-hime's vision, it was probably doing the same to yours. I knew it wasn't really affecting Kiba because of his other senses."

"I'm awesome like that." Kiba interjected and Hinata giggled.

"It was well thought out." Itachi agreed. "Using your henged _Kage Bunshin_ as invisible kunai and shuriken was also very clever."

"Yeah, but how did Zabby deflect the ones he did?" Kiba wondered.

"He probably heard them, or felt the movement of air." Itachi mused. "Momochi Zabuza _is_ a master of the art of Silent Killing, after all."

"Dammit." Naruto cursed. "I'll need to work more on my stealth."

"Maybe if you altered the way that water-walking works…" Itachi mused. "The ninja of Suna use sand-walking to traverse the dunes, but since there is no sand in this area that acts like that… perhaps leaf-walking and grass-walking."

A knock at the door interrupted them and Naruto quickly lowered his mask as Itachi rose.

"Itachi?" A voice none of the genin had heard before asked and Itachi breathed a sigh of relief as he opened the door.

"Asuma-sempai. I take it that you are the reinforcements?"

"We are." Another voice said and Itachi's brows rose as a woman with dark-purple hair appeared.

"Mitarashi-san." Itachi said with a slight bow. "Welcome to Wave."

"Ibiki did good work with the two you sent us. The chance of claiming the Demon of the Bloody Mist or even just his sword for Konoha has my father interested." Asuma said as he entered the house. "So, this is your team."

"Tobesku Jonin Mitarashi Anko, Jonin Sarutobi Asuma, these four are Hyuuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, his ninken partner Akamaru, and Yurei Ruto."

"Well, we're here now, the young monkey and the sexy and single Anko!" Anko declared as she posed, her coat threatening to expose more than just her cleavage. Kiba stared at her, drool leaking out of the corner of his mouth.

"So, how much of a threat is Zabuza?" Asuma asked, then he whistled as Itachi activated his _Sharingan_ , the tomoes morphing inwards to form a slim three-pronged shuriken. "Damn! You got a _Mangekyo_? How?"

"Circumstances led me to believe that Ruto had been killed." Itachi offered by way of explanation as Naruto rubbed at his neck.

"Ouch." Asuma offered. "If I'd had a genin team and that happened to me… yeah. Not good."

"He's planning on getting a team in a few months." Anko explained. "I think he just wants to prove to 'Nai-chan that he's responsible, rather than the big kid we all know him to be."

"Nai-chan?" Hinata asked curiously and Anko giggled, which earned her odd looks from the two Jonin.

"Yuhi Kurenai, my best friend and the one Smokey-san here is trying to romance."

"He _does_ smell of cigarettes." Kiba noted and Asuma sighed.

"I get _no_ respect, do I?"

"I am certain you get the respect you deserve." Itachi deadpanned, earning himself a couple of shocked looks. "What?"

"Kami…" Anko breathed. "Itachi just made a joke!"

"Hana must be rubbing off on him." Asuma said and Anko grinned evilly.

"You mean Hana must be _rubbing him off_?"

"Aaaargh!" Kiba howled, his hands clasped protectively over his ears. "Stop saying things like that! I _don't_ need to hear things like that about my sister!"

"Anko, please stop traumatizing my genin." Itachi sighed.

"Where's the fun in that?"

.

"Hell of a bridge." Asuma noted as he looked down the length of the incomplete structure that vanished into the light mists. "So, what's the plan?"

"Anko, you are the best of us at recon." Itachi said and Anko nodded. "Take Hinata and try to find Gato's base of operations. Hinata's _Byakugan_ will prove to be most useful and her growing mastery of _Juho_ will aid if you need to defend yourselves. Feel free to help her with her medical jutsu but do not corrupt her too much. Asuma, you and I will switch between guarding the house and guarding the bridge. With your permission, I would like to assign Ruto to you. I cannot aid him in developing his wind affinity effectively."

"But I can." Asuma agreed. "That leaves you with your brother-in-law-to-be."

"Hana has taught me several of the Inuzuka solo techniques and I am carrying a scroll of the more advanced partnership jutsus." Itachi said. "I am the best placed of us three to help him develop his skills."

"Sounds like a plan." Anko smirked. "How long do I get to search?"

"Five days." Itachi said calmly. "I hope that Zabuza will be out of action for a fortnight, but if he has a med-nin helping him, he could be back on his feet in under a week. I would prefer to have your help when I face him again. Using the _Tsukiyomi_ is rather tiring and leaves me vulnerable for a short while afterwards."

"Understandable." Asuma agreed, then he smiled. "Wind affinity, huh?"

"Wind is his primary. I have been helping him with his secondaries of fire and lightning."

"What?!" Anko gasped. "He has _three_ affinities? Whoah! Your team is going to _flatten_ the chunin exams!"


	12. Recon

Anko watched her newest (albeit temporary, drat it all) apprentice out of the corner of her eyes as they rounded the corner of the road, the trees hiding the house from view and coincidentally blocking their view of Naruto. As Hinata briefly activated her _Byakugan_ , Anko managed not to chortle.

"Damn, girl. You really have it bad for that masked boy, don'cha?"

Hinata nodded, blushing slightly and Anko gave her a one-armed hug.

"Nothin' to be ashamed of, being in love. I trust he treats you like a princess?"

"He calls me _Hinata-hime_." Hinata smiled and Anko grinned at her.

"You've managed to tame him, have you? Good on you!"

"Anko-sensei!"

"What?" Anko pouted. "Just saying it how it is. You're so uptight about things like that, I think you'd get along well with 'Nai-chan."

"M… maybe you can introduce us when we get back." Hinata offered and Anko laughed.

"Oh, I _like_ you, little princess."

"Thank you." Hinata said in a doubt-filled voice.

"No problems." Anko smirked, then she turned serious.

"I know that your _Byakugan_ will help a lot in finding our target, but how's your stealth?"

"It isn't anywhere near Naru-kun's, but Itachi-sensei said that it was adequate."

Anko whistled. "Wow, you must be good. Itachi-sempai doesn't offer compliments easily. Can you tree-jump yet?"

"Itachi-sensei has described it, but I haven't had a chance to try doing it."

"Hmmmm, can you tree-walk? Water-walk? Good, then channel chakra to your legs to boost your jumping and follow me."

Anko leapt up into the canopy, Hinata hot on her heels, then she started to bounce almost lazily from one branch to the next.

"The secret is to keep moving and don't stop unless you absolutely have to." She called over her shoulder. "Try to plan at last three jumps ahead if you can but be ready in case something goes wrong like a branch snapping. You can pump some chakra into a weak branch to get it to hold you, but don't do it too often, or you'll run out of chakra."

"H… hai, Anko-sensei!"

.

Anko breathed out, unleashing a small fireball the size of her fist, igniting the small campfire. Picking up the fish she had managed to catch while Hinata had been setting up camp, she quickly gutted them and impaled them on pointed sticks, placing them over the fire to cook.

"So." She said, "Tell me about yourself and your skills. I only got the basics."

Hinata looked up for a moment, then she sank down into a sitting position close to the fire. "My name is Hyuuga Hinata, former clan-heir to the Hyuuga clan. I abdicated from the position in favor of my younger sister Hanabi in exchange for permission to be betrothed to my best friend, Yurei Ruto. Unlike most of my clan, I am _Suiton_ -natured and as such, I am unsuited to _Jyuuken_. Instead, I am studying _Juho_ with the occasional aid of my cousin's Jonin-sensei Maito Gai. My _Byakugan_ ability is slightly above average for my clan and I am also learning Baguazhang, one of the two styles that Ruto-kun is studying."

"Interesting." Anko mused. "You know, I noted that you are quite flexible, interested in earning the basics of snake-style? I'd like to see if it matches your Gentle Step style."

"I would be honored if you would teach me, Anko-sensei." Hinata replied with a slight bow.

"Of course, we'll also need to work on your stealth." Anko said, checking the fish to ensure that they weren't burning. "I need to see how well you can… hide?"

Anko looked round the small clearing in confusion. She hadn't _heard_ any movement, no leaves had been disturbed, but there was a space on the other side of the fire that _should_ have been occupied by Hinata and wasn't.

"Hinata?" Anko said as she stood and looked round. "Where are… how'd you _do_ that?"

Hinata smiled from where she was sat, exactly where she had been before she had vanished.

"It's a little trick I got from Ruto-kun." She said quietly as she caught her breath. "You are aware of his _Kekkei Genkai_?"

"He's invisible…" Anko said slowly and Hinata nodded.

"Ruto-kun and I spend a lot of time close to each other, we even sleep together…"

"You _what_?" Anko burst out in shock and Hinata shook her head.

"No, not like that! At night I cuddle up to him and he hugs me. We've been doing it for years. Anyway, he has so much chakra that my chakra changed very slightly in response to it. Not much, only one part in a hundred of my chakra is invisible. We've tried to raise that level, but every time we've tried, my invisible chakra has reverted to normal chakra to keep the ratio constant, and it's stayed at that ratio for the past four years, so we think it's permanent. Anyway, by concentrating hard, I can use that invisible chakra to wrap it around myself, turning me invisible, but I can't do it for more than four minutes and it takes a full day to refill so that I can do it again. I also can't move quickly without disrupting it, I can only move at about half a civilian's speed."

Anko whistled in amazement as she sat down and started to remove the cooked fish from the fire. "That's still an incredible trick. I mean, there are certain jutsus that turn you invisible, but they take quite a lot of concentration to do it."

"Ruto-kun and I have agreed that it counts as a clan jutsu." Hinata said as she accepted one of the fish skewers, then she started to eat it with small, neat bites.

"So it really is a bloodlimit." Anko mused. "Inheritable?"

"Well," Hinata blushed, "According to Akiko-san, since I have the sleeping bird seal, all of our children will inherit Ruto-kun's invisibility."

"You had to help her with the Semen tests, hmmm?" Anko teased and Hinata flushed bright red. "Well, a clan of invisible ninja… talk about a trump card! How invisible is he?"

"Hanabi and I are the only two who can see him, mainly because we spend so much time around him." Hinata said quietly. "Itachi-sensei couldn't see him when we first met him, I'm not certain about now…"

"Because of his _Mangekyo Sharingan_." Anko nodded as she discarded the remains of the first fish and started on her second. "Be interesting to… _scrumph_ … find out."

Hinata nodded slowly as she finished off her fish.

"I'll take first watch, you take second." Anko said, stretching as she rose. "Sleep tight."

.

"Good morning, Anko-sensei." Hinata said as Anko crawled, wide-eyed, out of the tent, her nose twitching.

"What is that wonderful smell?"

"Breakfast." Hinata said, passing a bowl across. "I keep a small scroll of herbs, spices and basic ingredients in order to allow me to make a satisfying meal out of whatever I am able to forage on a mission."

Anko was too busy eating to give a verbal answer.

.

"So." Anko said as they leapt through the trees, heading for a place that Anko had overheard one of Gato's thugs talking about. "Have you studied elemental affinities yet?"

"Yes. I'm primarily water-nature, remember?"

"Oh, right. Overlooked that. I'm fire-nature myself… means I can't really teach you any new jutsu. Water nature and fire jutsu don't really work well together. Other way round as well, now I come to think about it. Heh, you have water, Ruto-gaki has wind, fire and lightning while if Kiba is like his clan, he'll be strong with earth techniques. Between you, you have the full spread. That's actually quite impressive… what was the glare for?"

"Ruto- _gaki_?" Hinata ground out and Anko laughed.

"Oh, that's a _good_ level of killing intent you got there. About as much as a seasoned chunin, in fact. I _like_ you. So, let's talk senbon."

Hinata blinked at the sudden topic change and almost missed the next branch.

"Senbon?"

"You need a distance attack." Anko stated. "Senbon are light enough that you can carry a large number and if you are good enough, you can use them to hit pressure points. Charge them up with chakra and you might even be able to use them instead of _Jyuuken_ strikes, though I'm not certain about that. They're also great for delivering poisons."

"I… I don't really want to… to hurt…"

"You prefer to avoid hurting people if you can." Anko said with a slight sigh. "Well, not poison poisons, then. Things like compounds to paralyze them, numb their limbs, even knock them out. You don't have to kill if you know what you're doing. Most ninja prefer not to kill other ninja since killing often annoys the other side and gets them trying to kill you, making it more dangerous to do missions. Heck, your _Juho_ should be great for that, if it's at all similar to the _Jyuuken_."

"It is, but only in how it works. The Kata's are different." Hinata said and Anko nodded.

"Then once we've done this mission, we'll start work on your senbon skills and Snake Katas. The way senbon are thrown are different to… what is it?"

"There's an encampment surrounding a mansion three-quarters of a mile that way." Hinata whispered, pointing and Anko smirked.

"You just proved your worth. Let's check it out."

.

The encampment was in a small valley between two hills with the mansion at its center on a small rise which had been cut away and paved over so it looked like a small fort. The camp itself was fairly disorganized with a few lean-to's, a couple of small wooden houses showing signs of inferior construction practices and a veritable morass of tents, none of which pointed in the same direction as those adjacent to them. The only part of the camp that looked as if it had actually been planned was the road stretching from the stairs leading up to the mansion all the way to the gate in the wooden wall that stretched across the front of the valley. A few torches were placed around the camp, ready to be lit once the descending sun dropped below the horizon,

"That camp is a mess." Anko said quietly, her voice filled with professional disapproval. "The arrangement alone means that they would have trouble deploying in any fashion to a threat."

"They only have one wall, Anko-sensei." Hinata pointed out and Anko's eyes widened in horrified amazement as she realized that the flanks and back of the camp were completely undefended. Not a single outpost was visible on the hills while at the back, the camp spilled into the forest.

"Kami above." Anko hissed. "I could _piss_ a better camp than this. If we ever needed proof that Gato knew shit about military tactics, this camp just proved it."

"I can see more then two-hundred people in the camp." Hinata whispered. "There are some women in the mansion."

Anko stiffened. "Are they chained or anything?"

"Most of them are in a series of rooms which open onto a larger one." Hinata said with a blush. "They… they aren't wearing much. There are three… and a small man… on the top level…"

"A _small_ man?" Anko smirked as Hinata's blush seemed to glow with its own light. "Small as in he's a short-arse or small as in…"

"B… both…" Hinata managed, then she deactivated her eyes and took a few deep breaths.

"So, how does he compare staff-wise to Ruto?" Anko teased, only for her eyebrows to shoot up as Hinata absent-mindedly provided an answer.

"Ruto-kun's at least twice as large."

After a long moment, Hinata seemed to realize what she just said, squeaked and fainted. Anko caught her before she could hit the ground and ghosted away from the camp into the gathering evening.

"Wow." She whispered to herself. "Either Gato's stunted or Ruto's gifted. Or both, now I come to think about it…"

.

Hinata opened her eyes and found herself looking at a familiar piece of canvas. A few more blinks confirmed that she wasn't imagining it, she was in her tent.

" _Byakugan_."

Her whisper let her activate her dojutsu and she used it to scan the area. Only one person was nearby and she recognized it as Anko-sensei, lounging against a tree near a small campfire. Rolling over, she crawled out of her tent.

"Ah, so the fainting princess awakes." Anko said teasingly, causing Hinata to blush with embarrassment. "Welcome back, have some fish. It's not as good as Dango, but then again, what is?"

"Ramen." Hinata stated and found herself transfixed by Anko's glare. "What?"

"You. Said. Ramen. Was. As. Good. As. Dango!" Anko ground out and Hinata wanted to shrink back, but something inside her pushed her onward.

"Ramen is very nice and whenever I have it at Ichiraku's, it is always with Ruto-kun beside me."

Ank's scowl vanished at that and she laughed. "It's great because your boyfriend has it as well? Okay, I can live with that."

Hinata sagged slightly as she accepted the skewered fish. "Are we going to try and infiltrate the mansion?"

Anko shook her head. "Nope. We got what we came for, although if you could sketch out a rough floor plan of that place, it wouldn't hurt."

Hinata nodded and pulled out her scroll of miscellaneous supplies. A moment later, she had a blank scroll, a brush and a pot of ink in front of her.

"Nice." Anko said approvingly. "Not many genin can do sealing that well. I thought the Hyuuga clan tended to discourage learning it, except for a few deemed to have the potential to become good enough to apply that forehead seal?"

"But I am going to become a Yurei when I marry Ruto-kun, so the normal Hyuuga rules do not apply to me as much. It helps that I am learning his clan style of sealing from his family scrolls." Hinata replied as she concentrated on sketching out the walls and rooms of Gato's mansion. "My sister is currently training to assume the position of clan heir."

Anko nodded as she took another bite of her fish, washing it down with a swig of water from her canteen.

"So." She said as she put down the canteen. "Your kids will inherit both of your bloodlimits, right?"

Hinata shook her head. "No, just Ruto-kun's."

"Seal?"

Hinata nodded and Anko snarled. "They'd put the Caged Bird seal on you just because you're marrying outside the clan?"

"No." Hinata said calmly as she dipped the brush into the ink. "They applied the _Sleeping_ Bird seal. All it does is means that my children will inherit Ruto-kun's _Toton Kekkei Genkai_ and not my _Byakugan_. There are no control parts or bits designed to seal away my _Byakugan_ , only to stop it being passed to a non-Hyuuga."

"Oh, okay, I guess." Anko said as she rubbed one hand against the side of her neck. "Sorry, I… had a bad experience with control seals a long time ago."

Hinata absently nodded, engrossed in her task.

.

"Wow, that is a good map." Anko said in awe as she gazed at the scroll laid out to dry. Hinata blushed slightly at the praise.

"Thank you. I've had a bit of practice… drawing Ruto-kun…"

Anko looked at her quizzically and Hinata sighed before reaching into an inner pocket and extracting a piece of paper. Anko opened it and whistled.

"Whoah! That's what he looks like? You got yourself a real dish, gal!"

Hinata nodded as she reclaimed the portrait, giving it a loving look before placing it back into its pocket. Anko frowned with a sudden thought.

"Hang on, if he is invisible… how did you draw that?"

"He isn't invisible all the time, not since he learned to _Henge_." Hinata said and Anko's expression grew more confused.

"But… shouldn't his _Henge_ be invisible too?"

"My father, my uncle and Gai-sensei and even myself have all tried to work out how Ruto-kun can _Henge_ into visibility. None of us could understand how he does it, so we eventually just accepted that he could."

"Weird." Anko shrugged. "Oh well, I've seen stranger. So, Ruto is invisible, except when he's not. How long can he hold his visibility- _Henge_ for?"

"About five hours." Hinata smiled. "We timed it just before we graduated."

"Hn." Anko grunted, then she winced. "I just sounded like an Uchiha, didn't I?"

Hinata looked away, fighting hard to avoid laughing at Anko's horror-filled statement. After a long moment spent examining the treeline in detail, she managed to get herself back under control.

"Well, I guess we should be heading back." Anko said, then she looked slightly shifty. "Ummm, don't tell Itachi about my Uchiha crack, will you?"

Hinata smirked slightly, then sighed as Anko unleashed the most powerful weapon in any Kunoichi's arsenal, the _Puppy Dog Eyes no Jutsu_.

"A… Alright."

"Thanks!" Anko crowed as she engulfed Hinata in a powerful hug.

"Air!"

.

The house emerged from behind the barrier of trees and Hinata waved at the shorter of the two figures.

"Ruto-kun!"

"Hinata-Hime!" Naruto called back as Hinata broke into a run. Anko laughed as the duo embraced each other as if they'd been seperated for a month rather than a less than a week, then she walked past them to greet the other figure.

"So, Smokey-san, how'd it go with your lovesick masked student?"

Asuma smirked as he pulled out and lit a new cigarette. "Not bad, he knows how to use his Chakra, that's for sure. Got the basics of Wind-composition down way faster than anyone I've heard of."

Anko whistled. "Deyaaaammn. I knew he was trained by the Hyuuga's, but to get the leaf exercise done in under a week?"

"Kid used _Kage Bunshin_." Asuma said. "Loads of them. At one point, I swear there were over a hundred of the damned things plus however many invisible ones there were."

Anko stared at him wide-eyed. "Kami above! Over a hundred _Kage Bunshin_? That's way beyond anything I've heard about before, forget Kage-level, the kid must be virtually _Biju_ level!"

"On the level of Hoshigaki Kisame, the _Biju Without A Tail_ , you mean?" Asuma asked, getting a nod in return. "I agree. He has real potential. If my team shows even a quarter of his potential when I finally become a Jonin-sensei, I'll consider myself blessed. How did the mission go?"

Anko smirked as she pulled out the map-scroll and handed it over to Asuma who unrolled it and whistled appreciatively.

"I've seen building blueprints less well-done than this. I didn't know that you had such skill."

"I don't." Anko countered, sending a meaningful glance at Hinata, who was still talking to Naruto. "So, tonight we talk to Itachi. My vote is for me and him to sneak in and kill the dwarf."

"I wasn't aware you'd met Gato as well, but yes. He is rather short." Asuma said curiously.

"When did you meet him?" Anko asked curiously.


	13. Training

Naruto sighed as he watched Hinata and Anko vanish into the forest, then he heard a slight chuckle from behind him.

"They'll be back, and you can surprise them by how much you've improved. Now come on, I need to check your affinities for myself.

Naruto followed Asuma to the shadow of a tree, where Asuma sat with his back against the trunk. Pulling out a small box, he extracted a cigarette and lit it before rummaging in another pocket, pulling out a piece of chakra paper.

"Well, I assume you know what to do?"

Naruto nodded as he took the small sheet, channeling some chakra into it. As before, the paper seemed to fade to partial transparency even as it split smoothly down its length, then the right piece crinkled into a ball while the left piece caught fire and burned into ashes. Asuma whistled.

"Damn! You really do have three affinities already? And _that_ strong? Usually Jonin only have two."

"Sensei?"

Asuma grabbed a stick and quickly drew a trio of pentagrams on the dirt, labeling each corner with a different element. On the first one, he marked out two points and connected them with the center.

"I am a wind-type with a strong secondary fire affinity." Asuma said, pointing to the first pentagram. "I can combine them to a degree to form several different attacks, but my other affinities are undeveloped."

Quickly placing five dots on the second, Asuma connected them to form a lopsided pentagram biased towards lightning. "Kakashi, on the other hand, is naturally a lightning-type but has worked hard to develop his other affinities to almost the same level in order to allow him to use his transplanted _Sharingan_ as efficiently as possible. There is a reason that he is known as the _Ninja with a thousand techniques_ after all."

Three dots appeared on the final pentagram and Asuma motioned towards it. "You have three affinities already, you have no idea how rare that is. The fading of the paper was odd, but I've heard rumors of your _Kekkei Genkai_ , so we can ignore that for now. Having three affinities means that you are at an advantage over almost any opponent who uses a single type. Lightning can pierce earth and is transmission-able through water, allowing you to use it against both natures. Wind blocks lightning and fire is regarded as a solid attacking element. In short, you've lucked out offensively, although your defensive skills could be somewhat of an issue in the future. For now, though, let's start your training in wind manipulation. Take a leaf."

Naruto picked up a fallen leaf and watched as Asuma scooped up one of his own, holding it in a cupped hand. An instant later, the leaf split in half.

"That was using my wind chakra." He said. "Each person tends to visualize it slightly differently. I think of it as a pair of blades scraping together to get sharper. During my time with the Guardian Twelve, one of the others was a Samurai who _folded_ his chakra like the metal in a katana to create his wind-enhancement on his blades. I even met a monk who used gentle motions to control his wind chakra, turning and flowing like he was made of wind himself before unleashing powerful gusts of wind. Just try different ways of visualizing it until you find one that works for you."

Naruto nodded and dropped the leaf. Before Asuma could do more than open his mouth, Naruto moved his hands into a specific position.

" _Kage Bunshin no Jutsu_!"

Three dozen cloaked figures appeared and Asuma's jaw dropped in shock. As the figures each took a leaf and moved outwards to find some space to work in, Asuma managed to pull his senses together.

"Over thirty _Kage Bunshin_? Even Kakashi can't do more than a dozen unless he combines them with normal _bunshin_!"

"I have Kage-level chakra reserves." Naruto shrugged and Asuma whistled.

"Three affinities, Kage-level reserves, a _Kekkei Genkai_ , you really have lucked out!"

"You forgot my biggest piece of luck." Naruto said. "Hinata-hime decided that even though I was unworthy of her, she wanted me anyway."

Asuma smirked as he inhaled, then he leaned back and blew a smoke ring.

"Kid, I think I'm almost jealous."

.

"Here." Itachi said, handing Kiba a leaf and passing another to Akamaru. "I have watched Kakashi do this exercise. Kiba, use your chakra to grind the leaf into powder. Akamaru, rub your chakra to form sparks to curl the leaf."

Kiba nodded and moved to sit against the railing of the bridge, concentrating hard on the leaf as he did so. Tazuna paused from directing the workers and walked over, looking at Kiba quizzically.

"What are they doing?"

"Exercises to increase their elemental affinities." Itachi explained, briefly activating his _Sharingan_ and scanning the surrounding area. "My primary element is fire, but I have taken my cue from Kakashi-sempai and begun increasing my other affinities."

"Are you going to do that now?"

Itachi shook his head. "As the person in charge of guarding you, I must not allow myself to be distracted from my mission. I shall continue the exercises tomorrow, when it is Asuma-san's turn to protect you."

Tazuna nodded slowly, then turned his attention to a beam that was being extended outwards towards the next set of pilings. A _yip_ caught Itachi's attention and he looked down to see Akamaru sat with a crinkle-edged leaf in front of him.

"Well done, Akamaru. An excellent beginning. Keep doing it until you can crinkle the entire leaf rather than just the edges."

Akamaru nodded and ran off, returning with another leaf.

"This is _hard_ , sensei." Kiba half-moaned and Itachi nodded.

"I agree, but it will aid you in the long run. With more control over the Earth chakra inside you, techniques using the ground will be both easier to use and faster. With a solid grounding in _Doton_ , you will be able to reshape any battlefield to your advantage. Combined with Akamaru's lightning affinity, you will be almost unstoppable in battle."

Kiba's expression firmed and he turned his attention back to the leaf in his hands. "Right! Time to get on with it!"

Itachi looked at the intent Genin and smiled slightly before turning and walking silently to stand by Tazuna, once again scanning the area as he did so. Tazuna failed to notice his approach and Itachi had to suppress his laughter as the old man turned and almost levitated in shock.

"Kami! Stop doing that!" He yelped, clutching at his chest before glaring at the younger man.

"Doing what?"

"That! That appearing-out-of-nowhere-without-a-sound thing!"

"Most ninja do it." Itachi said in a deadpan voice, hiding his amusement. "It is often known as the stealth-hi-bye, no-one sees us arrive or leave. We move in silence, we travel in the shadows. We are shinobi. It is our way of life."

"Still freaks the hell out of me." Tazuna grumbled, shaking his head. "I hope that smoker is less dramatic than you… graargh! Stop! Doing! That!"

Itachi looked down briefly from his perch atop the crane, a small smirk on his lips despite his best efforts. As Tazuna spun round, trying to locate him, Itachi's ears picked up his mumbled comment.

"Bloody ninjas."

"Indeed." Itachi said as he landed lightly behind Tazuna, causing the old man to jolt in shock.

"Don't! Do! That!" Tazuna ground out as several of the workers laughed.

.

Asuma glared at where his student had been a bare five seconds prior, then his gaze drifted round the small clearing where he had decided to test Naruto's taijutsu capabilities.

"Why in Kami's name did I tell him he could use ninjutsu as well?" He muttered to himself before a noise behind him caused him to spin round, foot scything out…

…and hitting absolutely nothing. Before he could regain his balance, he felt a hand grab his arm and pull him further off balance, then a body slammed into him, followed by a second and a third. Within seconds, Asuma was weighed down by a veritable horde of invisible bodies.

"Okay, okay." He groused. "So you can work with your clones. Now, how about we try this again, sticking to a one-on-one fight? Actually, before we do, how the _hell_ do you all know where each other are?"

"Iruka-sensei related a story about working with a sensor-nin who used pulses of chakra as a type of echolocation technique." Naruto said as the bodies pinning Asuma dispelled. "Before I managed to get it down, I was always colliding with my clones."

"And you all emit pulses?" Asuma asked in surprise. "That explains why I was feeling my own chakra ripple somewhat, but I didn't actually sense yours directly."

"I have invisible Chakra." Naruto replied, _Henging_ back into visibility and shrugging. "I haven't found anyone other than Hinata-Hime and Hanabi-chan who can sense it, so I can use it without worrying."

"That… _sort of_ makes sense, as much as I don't want it to." Asuma admitted after several moments thought. "Makes it even scarier fighting against you. The Hyuuga must need a change of underwear every time they consider what you could do."

Naruto lost control of his _Henge_ as he burst out laughing. Asuma rose to his feet and took his normal stance.

"Alright, let's try again."

For a long moment, nothing happened, then Asuma's gaze sharpened as several blades of grass bent.

"Hya!" He shouted, lunging forwards and he felt his fist brush against fabric.

.

"We're back!" Tazuna called as he, Itachi, Kiba and Akamaru entered the house.

"Your masked genin is _bloody_ scary." Asuma said from where he was lounging on a chair. "I hope to hell and back that you have ensured that he's loyal to Konoha, because if he ever decides to go rogue, he'd be the first ever SS-class Nukenin. Hell, once we get his taijutsu up to real levels, he'll probably have a _flee on sight_ order… or rather a _flee if you think he's nearby_ order given his _Toton_ Blood limit. Please tell me you can see him with those freaky eyes of yours?"

"I'm curious about that as well." Naruto said as he walked in, fully masked and cloaked. Reaching up, he removed his mask and Itachi's eyes turned red, their tomoe twisting into a three-pronged shape.

"I… can make you out, like a figure of clear water, clear, _slightly glowing_ water." He said after a long moment before his eyes reverted to their normal black.

"So, certain _Byakugan_ s can see me, and at least one _Mangekyo Sharingan_." Naruto mused. "When we get back to Konoha after this mission, can we try with Shisui? I think you said he has a _Mangekyo_ as well and he hasn't spent any time around me, so chakra contamination will be virtually zero…"

"And we can thus determine whether it is the chakra contamination or the _Mangekyo_ itself that allows you to be seen." Itachi finished. "I agree, it will be interesting to find out."

"Leaves the problem of other _Dojutsu_." Asuma smirked. "I _really_ doubt we'll come across a _Rinnegan_ , so we can ignore that. The Priestess in the _Land of Demons_ is rumored to have a precognitive Dojutsu but since she isn't a ninja, that can also be ignored. There's a clan reputed to have a predictive Dojutsu which caused the eyes to glow red, but they lived in Mist…"

"Which is currently enmeshed in a civil war with all _Kekkei Genkai_ users being targeted for extermination." Itachi nodded.

"There are a few other Dojutsu rumored to exist, but I can't really remember any details." Asuma shrugged. "Well, I guess that's pretty much all. To all intents and purposes, you can't be seen unless you want to be."

"A truly skilled _Doton_ user may be able to sense you through vibrations in the earth." Itachi added. "I myself once fought a blind ninja who used that technique. He had managed to progress to such a degree that he did not need hand-seals to manipulate the ground around him and could deduce the path of a thrown shuriken or kunai from how a person's weight shifted as they threw it. My _Sharingan_ was virtually useless in the face of such skill."

"I'll reach that point someday." Kiba vowed from the doorway, Akamaru resting on his head. "Hey, Ruto, you're unmasked…"

"Oh, right." Naruto realized as he quickly donned his mask once more. "Thanks."

"No probs." Kiba grinned. "I think I'm getting used to your empty hood."

"Why are you doing this?" A new voice asked and everyone turned to see a young boy glaring at them.

"Inari…" Tsunami started to say, but she stopped as Itachi raised one hand.

"Gato's going to win, he always does."

"Gato, Gato." Asuma mused as he pulled out a Bingo book and started to leaf through it. "Hmmm, can this Gato create exploding statues using mouths in his hands?"

"Ummm, no?" Inari managed.

"Is Gato a tall woman with… wow, _what_ a rack!"

"No… he's rather short…"

"Does he breath fire? Can he summon lightning? Is he capable of punching through a cliff?"

By this time, Inari was completely confused. "He… has lots of money and his own army…"

"He's not even a ninja?" Asuma gasped in mock-shock. "Well, looks like we don't need to worry. I mean, I can summon wind-blades that let me chop a tree down in a single move. What that would do to mercenaries is quite easy to imagine. Itachi has eyes that let him copy almost _any_ technique used against him and even without using them, he is one of the most lethal shinobi in existence. Anko uses poisons and can summon snakes the size of this house. Any one of us is equal to an army of mercenaries which means that with three of us together , no group of mercenaries can stop us."

"And then there are my genin." Itachi added, causing Asuma to nod.

"Hinata has the _Byakugan_ which lets her see in all directions at once. Kiba can communicate with his ninken and they fight alongside each other with feral ferocity while Ruto… even _I'm_ slightly scared about how powerful he'll become given that he can take _me_ down now."

Inari looked almost torn by what Asuma had said and Asuma grinned. "I used to be one of the Twelve Guardians of the Fire Daimyo and Itachi's _better_ than I am. Trust me, a hundred mercs or a thousand, it makes no difference to us at all. We'll go through them faster than an arrow through a paper screen."

"Assuming Anko has not broken protocol and already assassinated him." Itachi mused.

"Assuming that." Asuma agreed. "So, me and Ruto take the bridge tomorrow, right?"

"That is the plan." Itachi agreed.

.

"This bridge is even more awesome when seen from up here." Naruto said and Tazuna smiled with pride.

"Thank you. I put a lot of work into designing it."

"It shows." Asuma said, looking round with curiosity. "Ruto, make a couple of dozen clones to keep working on the leaf-cutting exercise, have them try various different ways to see which one works best for you. Have another dozen each working on the leaf-burning and leaf-curling exercises, I heard that Akamaru really got the hang of the latter. Once you've got that started, set up a perimeter of a dozen or so clones around the landward-end of the bridge.

"Hai, Sensei!" Naruto replied, moving his hands into a familiar cross-seal. A massive cloud of smoke later and the clones were flooding down the bridge to take up their assigned duties.

"Now, one problem with _Kage Bunshin_ is that although they help with things like muscle memory, they do nothing for actual physical development." Asuma said. "That being the case, I want you to start running lengths of the bridge to work on increasing your speed."

Naruto nodded before sprinting off.

"You're working him quite hard, aint'cha?" Tazuna queried and Asuma shrugged slightly.

"Ruto has the potential to be the most powerful ninja since the Sage of the Six Paths himself. I would be remiss in my duties if I didn't do my best to encourage his development." Asuma replied. "I wonder if the Hyuuga allowed him to learn the Rasengan? With his chakra, people would literally not be able to see it coming… if he ever develops _Doton_ and _Suiton_ affinities, he'll be totally unstoppable."

At Tazuna's look, he elaborated further. "Ruto already has _Futon_ , _Raiton_ and _Katon_ affinities which is more than most Jonin. I myself only have _Futon_ and _K_ _aton_. With his _Kage_ -level Chakra and his _Toton Kekkei Genkai_ , I don't know of a single ninja except for Itachi who would be able stand up to him once he hits Chunin level, and Ruto at Jonin is… it's just scary. I'd rate him as borderline A-rank already."

Tazuna whistled.

"And when he finally starts his own clan…" Asuma mused, "The other villages will panic at the thought of a legion of truly invisible ninja who could be anywhere. The Yurei Clan will be the perfect spies, scouts and assassins."

"Damn." Tazuna swore softly and Asuma nodded.

"The younger generation don't know just how much his ability will change things. After the Chunin Exams, he'll have to go around invisible to avoid the assassins that the other Hidden Villages will almost certainly send after him. The last ninja to change things this much was the Yondaime Hokage who used his _Hiraishin_ to kill two-hundred Iwa nins in a single battle, earning his _Flee On Sight_ warning."

Tazuna whistled in shock as Naruto dashed past, then he frowned.

"I didn't see him going the other way."

Asuma blinked a couple of times, then he moved to the edge of the bridge and leaned over. After a while, he nodded in understanding and returned to Tazuna's side.

"He's combined my task with Chakra control training, and is running down the bridge to the island, then across the water to the end of the bridge and up one of the support pillars."

"He can run on the water?"

.

Two figures emerged from behind the barrier of trees and shorter of the two waved at Naruto.

"Ruto-kun!"

"Hinata-Hime!" Naruto called back as Hinata broke into a run. Anko laughed as the duo embraced each other as if they'd been separated for several months rather than a less than a week .

"I missed you." Naruto whispered.

"I missed you too." Hinata whispered back, hugging him as tightly as she could and reveling in the feel of his arms wrapped around her.

"I've learned quite a bit from Asuma-sensei." Naruto murmured. "My _Futon_ affinity is getting better, I can cut a leaf just using my chakra in under ten seconds now."

Hinata sighed in contentment, then squeaked in surprise as Naruto scooped her up into his arms, carrying her bridal style.

"Ruto-kun!"

"Yes, Hinata-Hime?" Naruto replied teasingly as Hinata raised his mask and stroked his cheek before nestling into the crook of his neck.

"Never mind." She sighed and he could feel her smile. "Be a good fiancée and take me to bed."

"I thought we were still too young to do things like that." Naruto joked, earning himself a dope slap. "Worth it."


	14. Infiltration

All three Jonin stared in near-shock at the remains of the two boulders. The one on the left had been demolished by Hinata, who had used a _Rasengan_ on it. While a very impressive accomplishment in its own right, it was something that she had demonstrated before at the graduation test and thus was a technique which everyone knew was held and prized by the Hyuuga clan.

The other rock, though, had also been demolished by a _Rasengan_ , this one virtually invisible, appearing even to the _Sharingan_ to be a transparent, rippling sphere.

One wielded by Yurei Ruto.

"What. Was. _That_?!" Anko finally managed and to her surprise it was Itachi, who had been using his _Mangekyo Sharingan_ to watch, who answered her.

"That was a _Toton Rasengan_. The rippling effect means that it can not be used in the same way as many of Ruto's other techniques as the enemy has a moderate chance of seeing it coming, but it is a very interesting variant of the _Rasengan_ as it is."

"Interesting?" Asuma choked, bending down to pick up his cigarette. "If I came face to face with that without warning, I'd need new underwear!"

"I wonder…" Itachi mused. "Ruto-kun, please create four _Toton Bunshin_ and have them perform the _Rasengan_. Once they are formed, send them to attack the line of trees over there."

Naruto nodded and formed the familiar hand signal. A moment later, four near-transparent rippling spheres formed and seemed to launch themselves against the trees, impacting in a cloud of splinters before vanishing.

"What happened?"

"The splinters… kind of dispelled my clones." Naruto said with an embarrassed shrug.

"Yet the concept is sound." Itachi said. "Against living adversaries, it would work very well."

"Combine it with random hand moves and your enemies'll think you are creating those things remotely." Anko laughed.

"That _would_ be scary." Asuma agreed. "It would drive your opponents nuts trying to figure out how you were doing it."

"Always a good thing." Anko added. "Could you do an elemental version of that?"

"The Yondaime wrote in his notes on the _Rasengan_ that he had tried but failed to imbue it with wind chakra, it kept destabilizing." Hinata said quietly. "After one of the Hyuuga Council almost lost an arm trying to imbue _Raiton_ chakra into a _Rasengan_ , the Hyuuga Clan declared further attempts to be unwise."

"You could always use _Kage Bunshin_ to perform the experiments." Asuma shrugged, his gaze fixed on the large gouges in the trunks of the trees, "But, yeah. I see the problems. Elemental Chakra is quite difficult to control and I recall that it takes a lot of control just to make a _Rasengan_ , so trying to put an element in it as well… ouch."

"Changing the subject," Anko said, "What should we do about Gato? It'd be tricky getting to him given how disorganized the camp around his mansion is, but it would be do-able."

"We will give it a few more days before we decide." Itachi said after a moment's thought. "We will also rotate watches. One of us and a genin shall stay here while the others station themselves at the bridge."

"I think Asuma and me should be at the bridge together first, if only for the sake of the two lovebirds." Anko laughed, causing Kiba to snicker while Hinata blushed furiously.

"It also allows you to interrogate Asuma-Sempai about his intentions towar-hmmph."

Asuma glared at Itachi before slowly removing his hand from the younger man's mouth, then he winced as Anko clicked her fingers.

"I _knew_ that I was forgetting something!" She stated, then her face turned predatory. "So, Smokey-san, just what _are_ your intentions towards my best friend?"

"Itachi, you are _so_ dead when we get back!" Asuma hissed before vanishing in a swirl of leaves.

"Asuma! I demand an answer!" Anko shouted before she also vanished. Itachi remained motionless for a few moments, then he sighed.

"Why do I get the impression that _I_ am the most mature person here?"

.

"Wow." Hinata breathed as she walked down the length of the incomplete bridge, her eyes darting round as she attempted to look at everything at once, a task normally achievable only with her _Byakugan_. "This is incredible."

"It should be." Tazuna said proudly. "I designed it myself to free Wave."

Asuma turned and handed a leaf to both Naruto and Hinata.

"Ruto, continue with the leaf-cutting. Hinata, you may wish to try focusing your power into the leaf to bring the moisture in it to the surface."

Both genin accepted their leaves and moved to one side of the bridge, settling down to concentrate on their tasks.

"Itachi's got them well-trained." Anko mused as she leaned against the railing, a stick of dango in her hand. "If the others are as good as the princess, they'll be a shoo-in for the Chunin exams."

Asuma nodded, then pulled out a cigarette. Placing it in his mouth, he used a small _kaiton_ jutsu to light it. After taking several drags from it, he paused and blew a perfect smoke ring.

"I'd be impressed if I didn't know that you use your chakra to do that." Anko smirked, earning a raised eyebrow in return.

"Shouldn't you be impressed that I _can_ use my chakra to do that?"

For almost a moment, Anko remained quiet as Asuma demonstrated by blowing smoke triangles, smoke squares and finally a smoke figure which briefly boasted a resemblance to Kurenai before dispersing.

"Okay, that one needs a little bit more practice." Asuma shrugged.

"That has to be one of the _strangest_ chakra control exercises I've come across." Anko said slowly. "Did you invent it yourself?"

"Nah." Asuma grinned. "Learned it from pops. He does it with his pipe when he gets bored… heh. Sometimes he does it _through_ his pipe. It's always fun to see the smoke rising from the bowl of his pipe into kanji. He can hold an entire conversation that way. I learned to do the same thing, although not quite as well."

Anko whistled in appreciation.

"So." Asuma said. "You were thinking of taking down Gato?"

"Yeah, Itachi and I should be able to sneak into the mansion, although getting past the army Gato has around his place could be tricky."

"What's the range on Ruto's _Kawarimi_?" Asuma asked and Anko blinked at the apparent change of subject.

"I'm not sure. Why?"

"Well, he could send a trio of invisible clones through and when two of them reach the mansion, they could do a replacement technique with you and Itachi. Two more clones waiting outside would allow you to escape the same way, too."

Anko's jaw dropped and she stared at the bearded man with wide eyes before shaking her head to re-focus her thoughts.

"We'd… we'd have to check his range…" She managed and Asuma nodded.

"Would the end of the bridge be further than the distance across the camp?"

"Yeah…" Anko managed and Asuma turned.

"Ruto, we need a group of clones for an experiment. Make at least six of them, will you? Preferably visible ones."

Naruto nodded and, without bothering to get up, he made the familiar cross-shaped seal. Within seconds, the clones _henged_ into visibility and walked to Asuma, looking at him for instructions.

"I need three of you to go invisible and run to the far end of the bridge. Once there, two of you _Kawarimi_ with us."

Three of the clones nodded and ran off, shimmering into invisibility as they did so and Anko looked at Asuma's smirk.

"…why do I think you know something I don't?"

"Because I asked how they avoided the ambush that Zabuza launched against them." Asuma replied, then the duo felt a familiar tugging sensation on their chakra. An instant later, they were standing barely a pace from the unfinished end of the bridge with one Naruto-clone nearby.

"Excellent." Asuma smirked. "Now, dispel to let the clones know to bring us back."

The clone nodded and vanished in a cloud of barely-visible smoke, then the tugging sensation occurred again, bringing Anko and Asuma back to where the two genin were practicing.

"Whoah." Anko said slowly. "Imagine him doing that in combat, using a _kawarimi_ 'ing clone to bring an enemy close enough for him to hit. Man, they'd have to split their attention in order to prevent that..."

"…by constantly fluctuating their chakra to stop the _kawarimi_ from latching onto them as the displacement object." Asuma finished. "Kami, even the mere _threat_ of that technique would be enough to seriously reduce the combat effectiveness of most enemies."

"Just imagine if he used his clones to move himself _and_ his opponent round." Anko grinned evilly. "It'd look like he was predicting where they were about to _Shunshin_ to and getting there first…"

Asuma winced at the mental image. "Kami! Everyone watching would be wetting themselves in fear before running away!"

"Depends on their reaction speed." Anko admitted. "Being used for a _Kawarimi_ , it gives you a split-second's warning and if you expect it…"

"Then his target might just manage to land a blow on him instead." Asuma nodded. "Unlikely, but possible, especially if they've been subjected to that technique before. Still one hell of a combat skill, though."

Anko nodded, then refocused. "So… the plan as I see it is that Itachi and I, along with a group of the Gaki's clones, head to the mansion, probably in the next day or so. Three clones sneak in and two of them swap out with Itachi and me. We kill Gato, grab and seal everything of his and then dispel the third clone in order to tell the others that it's time to switch us out of the camp, so we can then return to Tazuna's. Was that the plan you were thinking of?"

"Pretty much." Asuma admitted, then he glanced over as one of Naruto's clones ran up with an armful of leaves. Naruto discarded the sliced leaf in his hands in favor of a new one and Asuma picked both halves up, noting the other sliced leaves lying around.

"I see you've managed to cut the time needed." He said approvingly, looking at the jagged cut that stretched across the leaf. "Now you just need to practice, practice and practice in order to get the cut nice and smooth. Can you do the other exercises yet?"

Naruto grinned and the leaf in his hands seemed to spark as it curled. A moment later, it caught fire and burned to ash.

"Nice." Asuma said approvingly. "Okay, leave your clones practicing and start running. Let's see you get your speed up even more."

Pausing only to give Hinata a quick kiss on her cheek (eliciting a surprised ' _eep'_ and a deep blush), Naruto bounced up and accelerated down the bridge.

.

Anko blinked as Itachi nodded.

"It is a good plan. We shall do it tonight."

"What?" Anko managed after a moment of shock. "I thought in a couple of days…"

"There is no need to wait." Itachi countered. "We are all in good health, it will be a few more days at least before Zabuza finishes recovering from my _Tsukiyomi_ and becomes capable of combat once again. Gato is currently the primary threat to our mission. It is only logical that we deal with him as efficiently as possible."

Anko froze, her mouth open as she tried to find some sort of argument, then she slumped. "Alright, you win. Tonight."

"I'll stay behind and guard the house." Asuma offered and Itachi nodded.

"That would be appreciated."

"So." Anko said with a grin. "Do we take Gaki to provide the clones, or a whole load of clones to start with?"

Itachi frowned for a long moment. "It would be better to have Ruto-kun with us."

"Then I'm coming too." Hinata said with a glare. "No-one's taking _my_ snuggly away from me!"

Everyone froze, staring at the young teenager, then Kiba burst out laughing, which broke the shocked silence.

"Sn…sn… _snuggly_!" Anko howled with laughter as she toppled off her chair. Hinata looked affronted for a moment, then realization set in and she buried her blushing face into Naruto's chest.

"I believe that Hinata-san's _Byakugan_ would be useful on the approach and departure." Itachi said calmly, although a slight twitching of the corners of his mouth showed that he was also amused at Hinata's unthinking protest.

"Whoah, I haven't laughed like that in ages." Kiba wheezed as he pulled himself up off the floor.

.

The clouds across the darkening skies seemed to loom ominously as a quartet of ninja leapt through the trees.

"Ruto," Anko said, "I was wondering. How do you see?"

Naruto cocked his head in query and Anko continued.

"You're invisible, so light goes straight through you, so how do you actually _see_?"

"I admit to curiosity about that myself." Itachi said and Naruto turned slightly to look at Hinata.

"He uses Chakra."

"Chakra?" Anko repeated dubiously. "How does that work?"

"It took us quite some time to work it out, but Ruto-kun's eyes have a thin layer of chakra over them. As the light passes through, it dislodges the chakra which then goes through his iris and hits the back of his eye, letting him see."

"That… would explain a great deal that has previously confused me." Itachi admitted. "As an Uchiha, I know quite a bit about how eyes work, as I expect the Hyuuga do also."

"When you have a _dojutsu_ , you need to know how eyes work." Hinata agreed, earning a nod from her sensei.

"So… if you get low on chakra, your vision fades?" Anko asked and Naruto nodded.

"It's a good warning sign that I'm starting to run low." He admitted. "I tend to lose color first, then it fades."

"We've measured how much chakra he needs to use to reach his lack-of-color stage." Hinata added. "He starts losing color when he drops to the chakra-level of a tokubetsu jonin, it's black and white by the time he reaches chunin and then it fades to black when he reaches the level of a genin."

"My chakra reserves are over double that of the Hokage's." Naruto said sheepishly and Anko spun round to stare at him, only to collide with a tree that she had failed to spot in time. The others quickly reversed course and landed next to the dazed kunoichi.

"Anko-san, are you able to continue?" Itachi asked and Anko nodded, then winced.

"Yeah, just give me a minute. That sudden stop didn't really help me. Kage level chakra, you said?"

Naruto nodded and Anko released a quiet whistle.

"Kage-level invisible chakra in addition to your invisibility, _Toton Bunshin_ and _Toton Rasengan_? The more I learn about you, the less I want to end up on your bad side!"

"Really? Hinata _always_ likes to be on my _bed_ side." Naruto punned, earning an eye-roll from Itachi, a groan from Anko and a gentle dope slap from Hinata.

"That joke was _terrible_ , gaki." Anko grumbled, then she shook her head slightly and took a few deep breaths. "Okay, I'm recovered… which way are we going? I kinda got turned around when I hit the tree."

"That way." Hinata pointed and Anko grinned.

"I _knew_ it was a good idea bringing you. Okay, let's go."

The ninja quartet leapt into the canopy of the trees once more, leaving no sign that they had ever been there.

Except for a slight impact-mark on one of the trees.

.

The quartet of ninja dropped from the trees and quickly made their way to a small cluster of bushes atop of one of the hills that flanked their target. Moving slowly, so as to not attract any unwanted attention, they looked out through the cover and Itachi's brows twitched in disapproval of the so-called layout of the camp surrounding the mansion.

"I know." Anko whispered. "Sucks, don't it?"

"It would have been very difficult to negotiate without being spotted." Itachi agreed. "Gato has somehow stumbled across a good defense against ninja."

"No patterns to take advantage of, no natural rhythms to hide in." Anko noted. "Even the guard schedule is unpredictable. It's useless against an actual assault, but against an infiltration? It's like something my old sensei would come up with."

Itachi nodded, then turned to Naruto.

"Create five clones and send four of them to the mansion. Once they reach it, one of them is to dispel to let you know that they have achieved their first objective."

Naruto nodded and quickly made the cross-seal, causing a quintet of small bursts of transparent smoke to briefly appear near him. Hinata activated her _Byakugan_ and leaned forwards slightly.

"They've just entered the camp." She whispered. "Gato's in a room at the top of the central tower along with all five of the women, there's no-one in the two rooms below them and I see no sign of the other women from before."

"So we need to take him out… should we leave the women there? Without Gato to protect them from the mercenaries…" Anko mused, only to be interrupted by Itachi.

"I have prisoner scrolls." He said quietly. "We can use those for the women, allowing us to question them later about what they know of Gato's plans."

"That works." Anko agreed, then she looked at Hinata, who had just tapped her on the shoulder. "What?"

"The clones have reached the mansion."

"One of them just dispelled to let me know." Naruto added and Itachi nodded in satisfaction.

"Good. Are you ready, Anko-san?"

"Born ready." Anko grinned and Itachi nodded again.

"Ruto-kun, I want two of your mansion clones to _Kawarimi_ with Anko and myself."

"Yes, sensei!" Naruto whispered and he dispelled the clone standing beside him. An instant later, Itachi and Anko seemed to vanish.

"They're at the mansion." Hinata whispered and Naruto moved to by her side, peeping over the bush before sitting down.

"I have several clones on sentry duty, we can relax."

Hinata considered his words before deactivating her _Dojutsu_ and letting Naruto pull her into his lap. With a sigh of contentment, she rested her head against the crook of his neck while his arms wound protectively around her.

"How long do you think they'll take?" She whispered and Naruto shrugged.

"I don't really know. I guess they'll take as long as they need to."


	15. Exfiltration

Anko felt herself stagger as the long-distance _Kawarimi_ deposited her on the rooftop balcony of Gato's mansion. A hand grabbed her arm and held her steady until her inner-ear stopped its rebellion.

"Okay." She said quietly. "I'm good."

Itachi nodded, his red eyes busy scanning the area. Anko watched as the three tomoes briefly merged into a three-pronged shuriken before separating once again.

"We are clear." Itachi murmured. "I suggest we secure Gato first."

"Capture him and hand him to the villagers?" Anko suggested and Itachi nodded before couching and leaping up the side of the tower.

"Show-off." Anko smirked as she followed him. At the top, Itachi paused outside an open window and peeped through. Anko took position on the other side and followed suit. What she saw caused her to shake her head in disbelief.

"He's a midget!"

"And he is rather short as well." Itachi deadpanned, causing Anko to frantically try to muffle her laughter. By the time she had recovered, Itachi had slipped into the room and was looking down at the six nude forms on the over-sized bed. Anko followed him, pulling out five of her _special_ senbon, earning an inquisitive look.

"Anesthetics for the women." Anko whispered and Itachi nodded in understanding. Moving quickly, Anko quickly used the senbon to ensure the women wouldn't wake up any time soon even as Itachi laid out five prisoner scrolls. Moving quietly, Anko lifted the first girl and placed her on a sealing scroll, then moved to the second, then the third.

The other two were more problematic given that the first was having her breasts used by Gato as his pillow while the second was lying between his legs, using his thigh as her pillow.

"Ideas?" Anko whispered, then she grinned as Itachi pulled out a small bottle and a piece of fabric. A few drops of liquid were placed on the rag, which was then put over Gato's face. Half a minute passed, then Itachi pulled the rag off and lifted Gato's head. Taking her cue, Anko pulled out the young lady and placed her on one of the two remaining scrolls, then she looked up as Itachi sealed away the final girl. Itachi rolled up the scrolls and placed them into a small bag before handing it to Anko. At her querying look, he gave an embarrassed shrug.

"I would never hear the end of it if Hana heard that I had carried five naked women back to Konoha."

Anko managed not to burst out laughing, then she looked at the sleeping shipping magnate.

"He's drooling."

"I have another scroll here."

"I'm not touching him." Anko stated with an expression of disgust on her face. "He's flabby, ugly and drooling. Yuck."

"I notice you did not complain about his height." Itachi noted as he unrolled another prisoner scroll, placing it by the bed. Grabbing the sheet, he used it to pull Gato onto the scroll before sealing him away.

"I've had a lover who was short before. Shorter than Gato, actually. A _lot_ more gifted, though."

Itachi paused, then he firmly placed the now-rolled scroll in one of his vest pockets. "Dare I ask what happened to him?"

"We both knew that it was only a temporary thing. He moved on." Anko sighed. "Shame, he had a _great_ sense of humor. Claimed to be the second-greatest lover in the Elemental nations."

Itachi blinked. " _Second_ greatest?"

"He said he tried harder." Anko reminisced with a faraway smile, then she refocused. "Alright. Next stop, his study. Right?"

"Indeed." Itachi agreed as he moved to the doorway and peered through the gap. "According to the plan Hinata-chan provided, Gato's office should be two floors down."

"Then let's go." Anko grinned. "We've got some robbing to do!"

Itachi sighed as he silently stalked down the stairs.

.

"Kamis above…" Anko breathed as they looked round the room. "This isn't just an office, this is a _trophy_ room!"

Itachi nodded as he gently extracted a scroll from the rack covering one side of the room. Examining it, he gave a low whistle.

"This is an Uzushiogakure scroll. The endcaps are unmistakable!"

"Uzushiogakure?" Anko repeated. "Shame the last Uzumaki's dead, he really could have… Itachi, why did you suddenly look shifty?"

Itachi stared at her blankly and Anko smirked at him. "I'm an expert in the T&I section, I _know_ how to read body language. The last Uzumaki's still alive, isn't he? Ah, so he is. And you know where he is."

Itachi raised one hand to cut off her inquisition. "He is and I do. However, it is not my secret to tell. When we have returned to Konoha, you should ask the Hokage about him."

"Yeah, I'll ask the Hokage about the kid… what was his name… ah yes! Namikaze-Uzumake Na… Ru… to…"

Anko froze as her mind caught up with what she was saying, then she slowly turned round, moving like a rusty marionette, to fix Itachi with shocked eyes.

"…ruto…"

Itachi nodded before turning his attention back to collecting and organizing the scrolls ready to be sealed away for transport.

"Holy…"

"Indeed."

Anko remained motionless (except for some blinking) as she fought to comprehend the newly-revealed information.

"When did you…"

"It was after I had agreed to take the team." Itachi replied, rolling up the third scroll that he had filled and placing it in a bag. "Sarutobi Hiruzen already knew about it, as do several of the Hyuuga clan. I do not intend to disseminate the information any further if it can be avoided."

"Yeah, I can see that." Anko said slowly, then she laughed. "Heh, explains the _Rasengan_. I wonder if he's trying to learn the _Hiraishin_ yet."

Itachi paused for a moment before finishing sealing the fourth set of scrolls. "I would not discount the possibility. For the Hyuuga to have the _Rasengan_ without being taught by either Jiraiya-sama or Kakashi-sempai, they must have had access to the Namikaze scrolls."

"Shit, imagine if the _Hyuuga_ start using the _Hiraishin_." Anko gasped. "They'd rule the battlefield!"

Itachi blinked a few times, then shivered slightly. "My father would launch the revolt that he had planned but discarded should that be the case. The rivalry he holds between the Uchiha and the Hyuuga would demand no less."

"Fuck!" Anko swore. "The revolt _wasn't_ just another silly rumor?"

"It was not." Itachi said, then he looked up at her. "Would you please help? Those books over there will not seal themselves."

Anko blinked a few times, then nodded. "Okay, okay. I'm on it."

.

Anko and Itachi landed silently on the rooftop and Itachi quickly activated his _Sharingan_ , its tomoe merging for a brief instant. Standing up, he walked over to the corner of the roof.

"It is time for us to return. Please have two clones _kawarimi_ us back." He said and a small _pop_ announced the dispelling of the clone. A moment passed, then the two ninja suddenly found themselves back in the forest.

"Damn, that really feels weird." Anko moaned as she supported herself against a tree. "Whoah, I hope I don't get that used against me in a fight."

"Merely pulsing your chakra at the right moment would prevent it from working." Itachi said as he finished checking the bags he was holding. "We should head back. When dawn comes, they will discover that he is gone and may try to attack the village for revenge."

""Right." Anko said, then she paused, her gaze fixed on Naruto and Hinata. "Um, should we wake her?"

Naruto shook his head as he stood up, holding Hinata bridal-style, then two of his clones appeared and carefully moved her until she was on Naruto's back. Naruto pulled out a cord and quickly looped it around Hinata's knees and arms in order to secure her, then he looked at the two ninja.

"Ready to move."

"You sure?" Anko asked worriedly. "I mean, you only really learned branch-leaping a few hours ago and…"

"I practiced with a hundred clones." Naruto interrupted and Anko nodded with sudden understanding.

"Ah, the memory-thing, huh? Shame I only have enough chakra to make a half-dozen or so clones. A hundred? Kage-plus level for sure."

Naruto nodded as he made sure that Hinata was secure, then he leapt into the trees.

"Gaki's got the right idea." Anko yawned. "Let's head back and grab some shuteye."

.

"Hey, guys." Kiba said from the porch as the group approached the house. "It's been quiet. Asuma just hit the sack, so I've got sentry duty. Did it go well?"

"When the sun rises, we will have Tazuna call a village meeting." Itachi replied. "We have a _little_ something for them."

"You got Gato?" Kiba crowed, then he looked round quickly. "Sorry, quiet, I know. You got Gato?"

"We did. As well as five captives whom we have no real idea about what to do with."

"We could send them to Ibiki like you said, see if they have any useful info." Anko shrugged and Itachi nodded.

"I will send their scrolls with a note at dawn." Itachi yawned. "Ruto-kun, you may as well get some rest."

"Hai, sensei!" Naruto agreed and Kiba's eyes shot to him.

"You tied up Hinata? Kinky!"

"Not. Funny. Kiba." Naruto growled as he stalked past and Anko gently dope-slapped the Inuzuka.

"What did I do this time?"

.

Hinata snuggled against the familiar warmth that was her betrothed, fighting against the drift towards full wakefulness.

"Hinata-hime." Naruto whispered. "It's time to get up."

"Doanwanna." Hinata mumbled, her arms tightening around him. "Comfy. Doanwannawakeup. Wanmasnuggly."

"It's going to be a big day today." Naruto replied as he rubbed her back in an attempt to nudge her out of her half-sleep.

"Doancare. Pillowcomfy. Notgonnagetup." Hinata groaned. An instant later, he vanished with a _pop_ and Hinata found herself falling onto the mattress. Rolling over, she sat up and glared at Naruto.

"How?"

" _Kawarimi_ with a _Toton Bunshin_ , then dispelled it." Naruto laughed as Hinata sulkily clambered out of bed. "Go get washed and dressed. It's almost time for breakfast."

Hinata nodded and moved towards the door, then paused and looked down at her nightie.

"Ruto-kun…?"

"You were so fast asleep that you didn't even twitch as I got you ready for bed." Naruto explained.

"Oh." Hinata said, fighting down a blush. "Okay. Wash and dress. Got it."

.

"So, the sleeping princess appears." Anko joked as Hinata finally entered the kitchen. "You were totally out of it last night."

Hinata nodded, not trusting her voice and Anko laughed.

"Back to our previous conversation," Itachi said to Tazuna, "I would appreciate it if you were to call the village together."

"Well, okay." Tazuna grumbled. "I hope they'll listen to me, it's been getting harder to keep things together since Gato took over."

"I believe that I will be able to hold their attention." Itachi said with a slight smirk, earning a curious glance from Tazuna.

.

Haku walked through the deserted village, looking round curiously. A rumbling noise led to the edges of a large crowd in the central square.

"Gomen, but what is going on?"

"Hello, pretty lady." The old man said with a smile. "I don't know, a call was put out for us to come here, but I'll be damned if I know why."

"Ladies and gentlemen!" A tall, bearded ninja shouted from the impromptu stage at the centre of the square. "Last night, my colleagues went on a mission, and they succeeded in bringing you… a _little_ something!"

With those words, the ninja flourished a scroll, unrolling it and unsealing its contents in one move. Something wrapped in a silken sheet crashed onto the platform and the crowd went silent for a moment before a roar of rage went up.

"It's Gato!"

"They got Gato!" The old man yelped, bouncing up and down. "We can have our vengeance and… hello? Where did you go, little lady? Oh, and she was so pretty, too."

On the stage, Gato was hoisted into the air, tied to a pair of beams and Tazuna stepped forwards.

"Gato, by the will of Wave, you will die in the same way you had my future son-in-law killed."

Gato whimpered in pain and fear.

.

"Zabuza-sama! Zabuza-sama! Gato's dead!"

Zabuza blinked as his apprentice charged into his room. "Dead? What do you mean, dead?"

"A bearded ninja had taken him prisoner and dropped him naked in front of the village!"

Zabuza frowned. "But the Uchiha doesn't have a… Haku, get out my Bingo Book for Konoha and see if the ninja is in it."

Haku quickly opened the "scram-bag" that Zabuza always kept ready in case they had to flee and pulled out a book. Glancing at Zabuza, Haku opened the book and flipped through before stopping.

"Sarutobi Asuma, the Smoking Guardian. A-ranked Jonin, _Futon_ and _Katon_ affinities. Son of the Sandaime Hokage. Former member of the Twelve Guardians of the Fire Daimyo. Favored weapons, trench knives, often enhanced with wind chakra."

Zabuza snorted as he painfully lay back down.

"So, our payday is no more and they sent a damned jonin to back up Itachi. I hate to admit it, but we've failed. Even if I was at full strength, I'd be hard-pressed to face down those two. Once I've recovered, we leave. We'll head back to Mist and try to link up with the resistance."

Haku nodded slowly, then frowned slightly. "Should we take any action against the Konoha nin before we depart?"

"No." Zabuza sighed. "No, it's best that we keep clear of them. Wave is more trouble than it's worth. Once I'm mobile, we'll simply leave."

"Of course, Zabuza-sama."

.

Naruto and Hinata watched as the workers continued constructing the bridge. Unlike the sullen near-silence of their previous shift, this time the air rang with laughter, jokes (some of which were rather… _colorful_ ) and the occasional burst of song. A moment later, Kiba re-joined them.

"Still no sign of anything wrong." He grinned as he knelt to stroke Akamaru. "These dudes are really happy, aren't they?"

"With Gato gone?" Tazuna laughed from where he was adjusting some of the blueprints. "Hells, yeah! With that bastard no longer able to push us down, we're doing _great_!"

"I wonder what Sensei and the others are doing?" Hinata mused.

"Must be something important." Kiba said thoughtfully, then he shrugged. "But at least they knew that we could guard Tazuna and the bridge by ourselves. It's great that they can see how awesome we are!"

Hinata nodded and briefly activated her _Byakugan_ to check the surrounding area once again.

.

"And where do you think you are going?" Asuma asked as he stood in the middle of the road, arms crossed. The mob of mercenaries slowed to a confused halt and the leader, a man clad in rusty samurai armor, stepped forwards.

"We're going to get our payment! We heard the village killed our boss, so we're going to burn it down!"

"I can't let you do that." Asuma said calmly, uncrossing his arms to reveal that he was holding his favorite combat knives.

"And why do you think you can stop us?"

The answer seemed to explode out of the forest. On one side, a giant snake appeared, rearing up to look down on the mercenaries while on the other side, a giant headless spectral skeleton rose up.

Before Asuma could do more than take one step forwards, arms raising into a combat stance, the mob turned and fled.

"Well." Anko said from the top of the snake's head even as the skeletal warrior evaporated, "That was rather anticlimactic. Hey, Itachi, what _was_ that?"

"That was the _Susanoo_." Itachi replied as he stepped out of the woods. "It is one of the techniques that my _Mangekyo_ has granted me. I have been trying hard to increase its manifestation over the last week. This was the first time that I was actually able to manifest its arms properly."

"It was pretty damned impressive." Asuma admitted, then he moved to Itachi's side. "You okay?"

"It is a very draining technique." Itachi admitted as he stumbled. Asuma managed to catch him before he fell. "I think I will need to concentrate on increasing my reserves as they are no longer adequate."

"Okay, you're going to rest when we get back." He said, settling Itachi on his back as Anko finished dispelling her snake. "Come on."

"Sempai makes a pretty good backpack." Anko joked, causing Itachi to give her a tired glare.

"Let's just head back." Asuma said, grinning around his cigarette. "I don't know how much longer the kids will stay out of trouble for."

"Ah, I'm sure that they're fine." Anko said with a grin. "After all, they're only kids, right?"

"I hope you haven't just jinxed them." Asuma sighed.

.

The final stone _thunked_ into place and Tazuna stepped back beaming as the assembled villagers burst into spontaneous cheers. After a few moments, Tazuna held up his hands for silence and the crowd slowly quietened.

"My friends!" He declaimed. "Today, we witness the completion of a bridge that was made possible only by the efforts of our friends, the ninja from Konoha!"

Another round of cheering echoed across the water and Hinata spotted Inari cheering loudly while holding Akamaru.

"The ninja gave us hope, they granted us the chance to regain our independence and to visit justice on the one who sought to enslave us! They are our heroes and we shall never forget them!

"Today marks the first day of the resurgent Wave, a day we owe to these six…"

Akamaru barked and Tazuna stared at him for a moment before grinning.

"Sorry, these _seven_!"

Akamaru _yip_ ped approvingly at the correction.

"Before they leave, let us show our appreciation for their efforts on our behalf. Let us show them our thanks for returning our stolen property to us, the money that Gato extorted from us, even the children he kidnapped intending to sell as slaves. These si… _seven_ stood up to Gato and brought him before us, and for that, they are our heroes. They are the heroes of Wave!"

The thunderous cheering and applause made the previous efforts seem almost silent by comparison.

"And now," Tazuna shouted, "Let the party begin!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may have noticed that I didn't mention Haku's gender. That was an oversight on my part, so I'll correct it now. Haku is


	16. Return

"The gates of Konoha." Kiba sighed in relief at the familiar landmark. "Wow, I feel like I've been gone for a month, not a few weeks."

"I wonder what happened to Zabuza." Anko mused. "I mean, we removed his employer, shouldn't he have… you know, at least _tried_ to avenge him?"

"Zabuza is a professional." Itachi countered. "With no chance of being paid, he would have simply left to find another job."

"Agreed." Asuma said. "I've read his file. He knows when to quit, it's part of why he's regarded as being so dangerous. He always has an escape plan."

"Who does?" A new voice asked just before the new arrival found himself dodging _Juho_ strikes and thrown Kunai. "Whoah! Easy! Easy! Friend!"

"Stand down, genin." Itachi commanded, then he turned to the new arrival. "Shisui."

"'Tachi-kun." Itachi's cousin smirked. "Is this him? The one who can do the _Shunshin_ 's almost as fast as me?"

"He uses a different technique that nonetheless looks similar." Itachi said. "Come to our training field tomorrow and I will have him demonstrate. Why are you here?"

"Your dad sent me with a message." Shisui shrugged. "Naka decided to defect from Konoha with some stolen files just after you headed out on your mission. He almost killed Naori when she attempted to stop him, she's still in hospital."

"Damn." Itachi cursed. "Naka has the _Mangekyo_ as well, as I recall."

"Yes, he does." Shisui confirmed. "There's an S-rank bounty on him, but we all know that only another _Mangekyo_ user would be able to stand against him… Whoah! How did you activate yours?!"

Itachi let his eyes return to the standard _Sharingan_ , then the red faded away. "During the mission, I believed that one of my genin had been killed. Fortunately I was mistaken. That reminds me, I need to perform a test. Please activate your _Mangekyo_ and look at Ruto-kun. Ruto, please de-mask."

Shisui's eyes turned red and the tomoes flowed into the middle before morphing into a four-pointed star. Turning, his eyes widened.

"What in Kami's name? He looks like… rippling glass? Thick water? I've never seen anything _like_ that before!"

"You may stop now." Itachi said. "Ruto, it would appear that it is indeed the _Mangekyo_ itself that can see you."

"Wow," Shisui said, shaking his head, "That was just freaky."

"So, several _Byakugan_ s can spot me, as can _Mangekyo Sharingan_ s." Naruto noted.

"Indeed." Itachi agreed. "That means that I can see you, as can Shisui, Naori and Naka. I do not know of any others with a _Mangekyo_ at this time."

"It is a very rare level of our _Dojutsu_." Shisui agreed.

"So… six people can see me out of the whole village. Well, five with this Naka person gone." Naruto mused. "Okay, I can live with that."

"I will introduce you to Naori tomorrow after practice." Itachi said. "That way, should you need to work together, you will both be able to capitalize on her ability to see where you are."

"Who else can see him?" Shisui asked and Hinata ducked her head, tapping her forefingers together.

"Hinata-chan and her younger sister Hanabi-chan are both capable of seeing Ruto-kun." Itachi said, reaching out to place a reassuring hand on Hinata's shoulder.

"Oh, and why is she blushing?"

All three Jonin transfixed Shisui with a glare and he raised his hands defensively. "Just asking! Oh, before you head in, I also need to warn you about a rumor going around. I heard someone claiming that Ruto here is the long-lost son of the Yondaime."

"Shit!" Itachi cursed, spinning round. "Ruto, fade!"

Naruto nodded and shed his coat and mask in one move even as he channeled chakra through the Hakama he was wearing. Shisui's eyes widened to almost comical proportions as he watched Naruto vanish.

"Holy. Freaking. Shit." He whispered. "That's incredible!"

"We are headed for the Hokage tower. Ruto, make your own way there and meet us outside."

"Hai, sensei!" Naruto replied and Shisui re-activated his _Mangekyo_ just in time to see him leap up the wall. Turning round, he blinked at the sight of Hinata sealing the now-folded cloak into a small storage scroll before stowing it inside her jacket.

"Wow." Shisui said. "Damn, that has to be _the_ most terrifying _Kekkai Genkai_ I have ever seen!"

"Or haven't." Kiba snickered, causing several sets of eyes to roll.

.

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked up as the trio entered the room, then his eyes widened. He could only see Inuzuka Kiba, Hyuuga Hinata and Uchiha Itachi, so where was Naruto?!

His question answered itself as Hinata unsealed a mask and hooded coat. Holding up the mask to one side, she let go of it, leaving it hovering in mid-air, then she swung the coat into the air above the floating mask. As it settled, Naruto released the chakra flow into his clothes and donned his gloves, becoming fully visible (for a given value of visible).

"Itachi."

"Hokage-sama." Itachi responded with a slight bow, then he looked sharply at the old man. "My cousin told me about a… _certain_ rumor at the gates. How did it get revealed?"

"Uchiha Naka." Hiruzen growled. "He was working with a masked man. He raided the private files and discovered who Ruto's parents were. After that, it was a simple matter for him to realize that Yurei Ruto was none other than Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto. He used it to slow the ANBU enough that the masked man could somehow remove both of them from Konoha using a technique I have never seen before and since then, despite my best efforts, word has spread. In fact, I received yesterday a report that the rumor has reached Suna."

"Shit." Itachi growled and Hiruzen nodded.

"I hope that your team is ready for the upcoming chunin exams, because if Ruto _doesn't_ enter them, the resulting rumors that we are trying to keep him and the Kyuubi as a secret weapon and the kidnapping attempts that _will_ ensue may spark the Fourth Shinobi War."

"Then it is fortunate that they are capable of entering." Itachi said with a slight, proud smile. "I have started all of them on elemental training."

Hiruzen whistled in appreciation of the implications of that apparently-simple statement.

"I admit to being impressed. Most shinobi don't start training their elemental affinities until they start considering the possibility of being promoted to Jonin. I have to ask, how do you propose to keep Naruto safe until the chunin exams, though?"

"Ano… I have an idea…" Hinata said diffidently.

.

"This is amazing." Hinata murmured. "This mask actually makes me feel more confidant!"

"I'll make it part of the clan uniform." Naruto joked and Hinata was silent for a moment before laughing self-consciously. "What?"

"I… don't have to worry about blushing." Hinata whispered and Naruto could _hear_ her smile. "We will have to think about mask designs, though, just so we can tell our children apart."

Naruto started to nod, then her sentence fully registered and he felt his cheeks heat up as _he_ blushed. "Hinata!"

"What?" She asked with a tone of studied innocence.

"Ruto-niisan?" Hanabi called as she bareled in through the door, then she froze, staring at the masked duo. "Hinata-nee, why are you dressed like Ruto-niisan?"

"I'm getting ready for when I formally join his clan." Hinata smiled as she removed her mask and hugged her sister. "Aren't you supposed to be having lessons?"

"Bleurgh, it's _boooooorrrrrring_!" Hanabi moaned. "It's all _An Heir must be graceful_ and _An Heir must be strong_ and all the rules and traditions of the Hyuuga going back to before we joined Konoha… neesan, _please_ come back! _Please_ be the heir again!"

Hinata choked down an inappropriate giggle as Hanabi used the famed and dreaded _Puppy dog eyes no jutsu_ on her.

"Hanabi-sama!"

Hanabi sighed. "Oh no, they sent Ko after me. The others give up, he doesn't, then he _looks_ at me as if he's disappointed in me… I've got to go."

"We'll be back this evening." Hinata said, giving her sister another hug. "You can join us if you want."

"Thanks, neesan!" Hanabi grinned, then she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, donning the emotionless expression needed for the duties of the Clan Heir. Giving Naruto a bow, she turned and walked out of the door.

"Just think, if not for me, that could have been you." Naruto mused and Hinata shook her head.

"No, Hanabi is stronger then me. She's a white oak to my willow. She doesn't bend before the winds."

"But when the typhoon passes, the willow stands when the white oak has toppled." Naruto countered. "As long as she knows _when_ to bend, she'll be fine."

Hinata nodded slowly, then donned the mask that she had borrowed from Naruto. "You're right. Now, I believe that we have a team meeting to attend?"

Naruto smiled and offered Hinata his arm as they stepped out of their cottage. Closing the door behind them, Hinata took his arm and they started to walk towards their normal training grounds.

.

"Ruto-kun, Hinata-chan." Itachi said in greeting to the masked duo. From beside Itachi, Kiba looked up from the crumbling leaf in his cupped hands and nodded, then paused, eyes wide.

"What the…? Hinata? Why are you dressed like Ruto?"

Hinata removed her mask, then giggled as Naruto removed his to reveal that he had _Henge_ d himself to look like her.

"Okay," Kiba said slowly as he approached them. "That's just freaky."

Walking round them, Kiba took a few sniffs and then nodded.

"You're Hinata, I can detect your scent."

"Well done." Naruto said, dropping his _Henge_ and replacing his mask to cover the apparent emptiness of his hood. "This is only a short-term solution for now…"

"Got a spare coat and mask?" Kiba grinned. "It kinda looks fun. Hey, maybe we could get a coat and mask for Akamaru, you know, to show we're a team."

Hinata giggled as she visualized Akamaru in a hooded coat and Itachi smiled slightly.

"That could be… amusing." He said. "In the meantime, though, I believe that we should revisit the basics. Tree- and water-walking to start with."

Akamaru barked and ran up the side of the nearest tree, causing Itachi to give Kiba a questioning look.

"Akamaru was interested in how I was running up and down trees, so I helped him to learn how to do it himself." Kiba shrugged. "Sis was quite surprised when she saw him doing it, the triplets are now learning how to do it as well."

"Hana did seem rather preoccupied when I visited her yesterday." Itachi mused. "I had not wished to ask in case it was personal… thank you for explaining it."

"No probs." Kiba said, then he froze. "Oh kami! I just helped you with _your_ dating of _my_ sister! Aaaaargh!"

Naruto shook his head at Kiba's dramatizing.

"Kiba, did you have a message for your team-mates?"

Kiba froze, then he nodded. "Oh yeah! Kaasan wants you to come round tomorrow evening for a _getting to know her son's team_ meal. She hasn't actually met you yet."

"We would be honored to attend." Hinata said and Kiba grinned.

"Great!"

.

Naruto flopped face-down onto the bed with a groan.

"Itachi-sensei seemed rather… inspired today." Hinata said quietly as she sat down on the bed next to him, then followed his example by flopping backwards so her head rested on his out-flung arm. "I think that I am starting to look forwards to the exams."

The sound of running footsteps was their only warning before Hanabi ran in and dived onto the bed, squirming into the gap between Naruto and Hinata.

"Hello!" She chirped, only to be answered by a groan from Naruto. "Ummm, what's wrong, Ruto-niisan? Neesan, what's wrong with Ruto?"

"Itachi-sensei really had him working hard today." Hinata explained without bothering to open her eyes. "Before today, he had his _Kawarimi_ down to a single hand-seal, now he can do it without them. He also learned how to do the _Shunshin_ from Itachi's cousin Shisui and had fifty of his clones practicing that in order to learn how to do it without seals while increasing the speed and range. At the same time Ruto-kun himself was trying to keep up with Rock Lee in taijutsu."

"Lee. _Lee_. Lee..." Hanabi mused, then she suddenly sat up. "You mean Eyebrows-san?"

Naruto snorted with exhausted laughter at the description. "Yeah, that's him. He's _fast_."

Hanabi snuggled back into the gap between the duo. "How fast?"

"Put it like this." Naruto sighed. "When he takes his weights off, even Shisui has problems avoiding his attacks. And Gai-sensei is _even faster_."

"Whoah." Hanabi breathed in amazement, then she giggled as Naruto's stomach growled, and Hinata's followed suit. "You're hungry."

"Starving." Hinata sighed and Hanabi bounced off the bed.

"I'll make some food!" She offered as she scampered through to the kitchen.

For a moment, neither Hinata nor Naruto reacted, then suddenly memories of the disasters that Hanabi had caused in the kitchen crashed home. In a move that would have caused onlookers to question if several laws of physics had been repealed, they launched themselves off the bed and through the door.

"Wait, imouto-chan!" Hinata half-shouted. "We'll help!"

Hanabi appeared at the kitchen door with a bag of rice in one hand and a frying pan in the other. "Why? I know what I'm doing…"

"Did you remember that you have to _boil_ rice?"

Hanabi looked at the frying pan in her hand and blushed. "Ooops?"

"Oops indeed." Hinata laughed as she gave her younger sister a reassuring hug. "Come on, let's make some onigiri."

.

"…totally unreasonable that the Hyuuga control the holder of the Kyuubi!" One of the council members protested in an annoyingly nasal voice. "The child needs to be removed from their clan and placed somewhere where it can be controlled!"

"I agree!" A second civilian piped up. "Furthermore, I demand that the jutsu left behind by our beloved Yondaime be liberated from this… _creature_ and taught to our _real_ shinobi!"

Hiruzen sighed. Both councilors had spent some time in hospital with stomach injuries after Naruto had vanished and it would seem that they hadn't learned if the combined glares from Hyuuga Hiashi, Nara Shikaku, Akamichi Chouza, Yamanaka Inoichi and, surprisingly, Inuzuka Tsume, were any indication. Even Uchiha Fugaku was frowning at the civilians and he was almost renowned for arguing for the opposite of whatever the Hyuuga wanted, something which Hiruzen often relied on as it let him switch sides in debates without worrying about his advisors uniting to counter him.

"As he is the son of the Yondaime and the Red-hot Habenero, the Jutsu you refer to are his by right." Hiashi ground out and Fugaku nodded in agreement.

"My son speaks very highly of Yurei Ruto." Fugaku added. "If he was not already betrothed, I would consider offering a young lady from my clan to help him re-establish _his_ clan."

The subtext of the statement, of Fugaku's apparent willingness to allow the _Sharingan_ to be potentially inherited by someone who would _not_ then be brought into the Uchiha clan, earned several shocked looks from the Shinobi members of the Council.

Predictably, the civilians completely missed it.

"Itachi and Shisui have both described themselves as being impressed by Yurei-san's growth." Fugaku continued. "I therefore put forwards a motion to confirm Yurei Naruto as the leader of the Yurei clan, formerly known as the Namikaze Clan, the _instant_ that he is promoted to Chunin."

"I second the motion." Hiashi said instantly, causing another round of surprise. The Hyuuga and the Uchiha clans generally hadn't co-operated beyond the minimum field requirement for several decades.

"Very well." Hiruzen said, glancing over at his son who was holding the Sarutobi seat. "The motion has been put forwards and will now be voted upon. All in favor? All opposed… The motion carries and the Yurei clan will be entered into the rolls of the Clans of Konohagakure once Yurei Ruto earns his promotion."

"You can't do that! The brat's a demon!" The first civilian shouted, then he blinked as both Hiashi and Fugaku rose almost explosively from their chairs. The two clan-heads looked at each other and Hiashi bowed slightly before sitting down again, allowing Fugaku to lead the rebuttal.

"As a civilian, you are not expected to understand even the most basic concepts of _Fuinjutsu_ , but as a member of the council, you should have at least _some_ knowledge about it." Fugaku sneered. "The branch of _Fuinjutsu_ that deals with sealing things away is quite complex. Even storage scrolls require someone to achieve at least Journeyman status in _Fuinjutsu_ … Hiashi-sama, has Ruto-sama studied it?"

"He has, under the best tutors the Hyuuga clan could provide or hire." Hiashi confirmed. "He but lacks the experience to become a full Master, he is already a fully-accredited Journeyman and I have no doubt that he will reach Adept like his parents did."

Fugaku bowed slightly. " _Fuinjutsu_ is complex and the seal that the Yondaime provided, a seal which I have seen with my own _Sharingan_ , is a true masterwork in all senses of the word. The Yondaime powered the seal with his own life to secure the Kyuubi and I had the Uchiha Seal Adept examine its design. She admitted that it was beyond even her, but that it was flawless. The boy _imprisons_ the Kyuubi, he is _not_ the Kyuubi."

"A glass is not the milk it holds." Shikaku offered and Fugaku nodded.

"If you can't understand that, you have no business being on the council in a _ninja_ village." He sneered. "My son is entering his team into the exams and as soon as Yurei Ruto becomes a Chunin, which I have no doubt that he will, he will have a seat on this council as well. I would advise you to learn to _think_ before you speak, or you will face his anger as well as ours!"

"Seconded." Hiashi deadpanned, causing Shikaku to snort with suppressed laughter and Fugaku to give his political rival a confused glance.

.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Sakura shouted as Team 7 entered the training field.

"I asked them here for some teamwork training." Kurenai explained as Sasuke looked up from the scroll he was reading and gave his brother a small smile.

"Hey, Aniki."

"Otouto." Itachi replied, then he looked round. "Aburame-san, Haruno-chan. Thank you for inviting us, Yuhi-sama."

"It's just Kurenai." The Jonin said with a smile, then she looked round. "You can come out of hiding now."

The bushes stirred and Asuma stepped into the clearing.

"Asuma-sensei!" Sakura called in greeting, earning an odd look from Itachi.

"Asuma likes to help out." Kurenai blushed and Asuma grinned.

"It's a good way of getting experience ready for when I get my own team from the next graduating class. Itachi, why are all your genin masked?"

Itachi hid a smirk as he glanced at his team, all of whom were clad in grey Hakamas, long hooded coats and blank masks (except for Akamaru who just had a coat and mask).

"I think it is a kind of joke." He said. "Or a show of support for Ruto-kun. Or maybe a tactical decision to make people uncertain as to whom they are actually facing."

"Might be all three." Kiba laughed.

"Indeed." Itachi nodded. "Or it might be all three."

"…nice masks." Shino mumbled, earning several shocked looks, then the gazes snapped to Naruto as he pulled a spare mask out of a sealing scroll and handed it to the bug-user. Shino nodded in thanks and in a smooth movement, replaced his shades with the mask.

"Come round this evening and I'll help you customize it." Naruto offered and Shino turned to face him.

"That would be appreciated, Ruto-sempai."

Sakura looked at him and shivered.

"Hey, forehead!" A new voice shouted and everyone turned to see Team 10 appear with Ino almost dragging her two team-mates while their sensei slouched along behind them.

"Sorry we're late." Kakashi yawned. "I got lost on the road of life."

"Lame." Kiba deadpanned.


	17. Preparations

"Hey big bro, guess what I heard/ The son o' the fourth is workin' for the third.  
"Da habenero's kid be in da test/ We may see him be goin' up against da rest.  
"Da land o'fire is where ah wanna be/ 'cause dis is somefin ah gotta see.  
"Ah need ya permission ta make it fine/ cause then Mr eight can meet Mr nine!  
"Word!"

Raikage A looked up from the never-damned-enough paperwork to fix his (adopted) younger brother, the Jinchuuriki of the Hachibi, with a glower. " _What_ are you going on about now?"

"The son of Namikaze Minato is alive." Another voice said and Yugito Nii, the Junchuuriki of the Nibi, walked round the taller swordsman, elbowing him in the ribs as he opened his mouth again. "Apparently he's going by the name of Yurei Ruto and they're going to give him clan leadership of the Yurei clan, formerly the Namikaze clan, once he marries a Hyuuga girl."

A frowned for a moment. "That might explain why the Hyuuga are suddenly using the _Rasengan_." He mused. "Bee, you said _Habenero_ , he's Uzumaki Kushina's son?"

"I listen to the rumors as they fly/ they say he is and it ain't no lie." Bee rapped, earning himself another elbow to the ribs.

"Gets better." Yugito said as she sat down on one of the chairs. "One of our spies from Mist reported in. Apparently Momochi Zabuza went up against him. Kid managed to pull a silent killing on him _without_ concealment. Only an accidental senbon strike saved Zabuza, although it caused Uchiha Itachi's _sharingan_ to go weird. Thin three-pointed black shuriken."

" _Mangekyo_." A realised. "Damn! They've got another _Mangekyo_ user! Raise the bounty on him and put a _call for backup_ warning in the Bingo Book."

"On the plus side, they've lost an Uchiha as well." Yugito said, passing across a copy of the most recent Konoha Bingo Book. "Page one-seventeen. Uchiha Naka. He has one of those _Mangekyo_ as well, but his is a red-on-black three-pointed shuriken. Uses a weird technique that lets him make small injuries have never happened, possibly works for mortal wounds as well. Went rogue and was the one who spilled the beans on the Yurei kid."

A rapidly flipped through the book until he came across the picture of the shinobi in question.

"Do we put a bounty out for capturing the kid?"

A frowned, then shook his head. "No. Putting a bounty on a _genin_ , no matter who his parents were, would be seen as the actions of a weak village. We wait until he hits Special Jonin at the very least. Besides, he's linked to the Hyuuga. We've fallen foul of them before."

Yugito nodded. Having their ambassador captured and humiliated by the very girl he was trying to kidnap for breeding stock in order to give Kumo their own _Byakugan_ wielders had caused Kumo shinobi to become the laughing stock of the Elemental Nations for several years and had hastened the … _retirement_ of the previous Raikage.

Which led to the next bit of news.

"His fiancée is the girl we tried to kidnap."

"Fuck." Bee swore from behind her and A flinched.

"Okay. We're going to limit our entries this year to a single team." A growled. "Bee, it'll be your team we're sending. Yugito will go with you as my personal envoy to the old geezer and will keep you in line. If anything, and I mean _anything_ goes bad, get your team back here as fast as you can, preferably without causing damage that might cause Konoha to declare war on us. Got it?"

Bee nodded.

"Good. You head out tomorrow."

.

Itachi looked at his team, then handed them each a form.

"As I am certain you anticipated, I am offering you a chance to enter the Chunin Exams. I would not do so if I did not believe that you were less than fully prepared for it."

The three genin accepted the proffered papers and looked at them, then their sensei.

"The exams will start in one week, the date is listed on the paper. Should you wish to enter, fill in the form and bring it with you to the Academy on the day of the exams."

"Oh, hell yeah!" Kiba crowed, then he turned to his team-mates. "Guys, you in too?"

"Of course we are." Hinata smiled. "Ruto-kun?"

"Make it all three of us." Naruto said and Itachi nodded.

"By tradition, the time between now and the exam is yours to do with as you wish. The exam is for the village to see how you can cope with acting on your own and as a team without the guidance of your sensei. It is rare for genin to pass on their first attempt, but a good showing will lead to the judges looking more favourably upon you as chunin material in future exams."

"So even if we fail, we're building up for future success." Kiba nodded. "I see. Well, we'll just have to win outright, won't we? With my Inuzuka jutsu, Hinata-chan's _Byakugan_ and _Juho_ skills and Ruto-sempai's scary clones, we'll smash straight through our opponents!"

"What he said." Naruto laughed and Itachi nodded.

"Then our training for the day is finished. I shall see you in one week, either at the Academy should you choose to enter, or here should you refrain. May the Will of Fire burn strongly inside you."

"Better than the Flames of Youth." Kiba joked, then he froze as a distant shout of "YOSH!" echoed across.

"…and on that, I think I shall depart." Itachi said nervously before he seemed to split apart into a flock of crows that flew off. Kiba whistled.

"Whoah! That's almost as weird as your clones, Ruto. Ruto? Where did you… I hate it when he does that. Damned _Toton Bunshin_ and their damned _Kawarimi_ 's… come on, Akamaru, let's head home."

.

"That was an evil trick to play on Kiba-kun." Hinata giggled as Naruto carried her through the trees.

"We'll go to the Inuzuka compound tomorrow and apologize." Naruto replied laughingly. "Besides, if I can pull it on Kiba, who knows _and_ has experienced that trick, that means that it'll work on… did you hear that?"

"Yes." Hinata replied, activating her _Byakugan_. "Two streets that way, a small boy is being menaced by a shinobi who is using a puppet. The shinobi controlling the puppet is being carried on its back."

Naruto changed course even as he deployed a dozen invisible clones, earning a quizzical look from Hinata.

"Better too many than too few." He explained as they leapt across the rooftops. Hinata waited until they were in mid-air, then she swung herself off Naruto's back so that they landed side-by-side on the roof overlooking the incident.

"Isn't that Asuma's nephew?" Naruto asked and Hinata nodded. "Okay, doing the rescue now."

Below them, the boy seemed to ripple and vanish, leaving the disguised puppet's hand empty. Hinata grabbed the confused child before he could lose his balance while on the road below, both the puppet and the girl standing beside it were looking round, then the girl happened to gance up and spotted them.

"Shit! Kankuro, ANBU!"

Naruto blinked at that, then he grinned in understanding. With the masks and coats that both he and Hinata were wearing, they could indeed be mistaken for ANBU operatives. A chakra ripple told him that three more clones were ready and he made a small hand-signal to tell them to proceed. A quick _Kawarimi_ later and they were far out of sight of the ninjas.

"Whoah…" The boy gasped. "How did you _do_ that?"

" _Kawarimi_ variant." Naruto shrugged. "You're Asuma's nephew, aren't you?"

The boy stared at him for a long moment and Naruto cocked his head slightly. "What?"

"You didn't call me _Honorable Grandson_!" The boy half-shouted with a huge grin. " _Yes_! I'm Sarutobi Konohamaru and I'm gonna be Hokage!"

"Really?" Naruto said, slightly amused. "You must be really good. Can you do tree-walking yet?"

Konohamaru shook his head, looking downcast and Hinata removed her mask so that she could smile at him.

"We'll be happy to teach you, Ko-kun."

Konohamaru grinned, then he looked at them curiously. "You're not ANBU, who are you?"

"I am Hyuuga Hinata, soon to be Yurei Hinata if all goes well and this is my fiancee, Yurei Ruto."

Naruto gave a casual salute as Konohamaru stared at him.

"Whoah… hey!"

Naruto straightened up, Konohamaru tucked under his arm and began leaping towards their normal training field, Hinata keeping in close formation, then she gave Naruto an odd look.

"Why did you just send off several clones?"

Naruto glanced at her and saw that her _Byakugan_ was still active. "Well, your sister was complaining that she doesn't get to do much that isn't training for her position, so I thought she might like to join us. I also sent one to Kiba in case he was bored and wanted to join us as well."

Hinata smiled as she deactivated her bloodlimit. "That's very thoughtful of you."

.

"Hey, guys!" Kiba called in greeting as he entered the training field. "Hi, Hanabi-chan! Hey, who's the squirt?"

Konohamaru scowled from where he was sprawled at the bottom of one of the trees, having tried to simply run up it, failing to remember in his excitement that it was a _chakra-control_ exercise.

"This is Asuma's nephew, Konohamaru." Hinata said. "Ko-kun, these are our team-mates Inuzuka Kiba and Akamaru."

Akamaru _yip_ ped in greeting, then ran over to Hanabi and leapt into her arms. The young girl rubbed her cheek against him while smiling widely. After a moment, Hanabi put him down and Akamaru ran half-way up the tree, then turned round, looking down from his perch on the vertical surface.

"The _dog_ can tree-climb?!" Konohamaru gasped in shock as he looked up at the ninken.

"Hey, don't diss Akamaru." Kiba growled and Konohamaru waved his hands frantically in denial.

"I wasn't dissing him! I was just surprised! That's all!"

"Oh, okay." Kiba said slowly. "That's okay. Sorry, but I don't like people trying to make fun of my partner."

"Kiba, stop terrorizing our student." Naruto laughed. "Okay, Ko-kun, let's try again."

As Ko stood up, Naruto created a visible clone and the two of them picked him up and held him so that his feet were against the tree.

"Now, try to focus your chakra through your feet. Too much and it'll push you away, too little and you'll slip, so channel your chakra and try to pull your foot from the tree. Once it is stuck, you know you have the right amount."

"He's good with brats, isn't he?" Kiba half-whispered to Hinata, then he leapt sideways to avoid a _Jyuuken_ strike launched by Hanabi.

"Don't call me a brat!" She shouted as she chased the larger boy around the clearing. From his perch on a branch, Akamaru watched, occasionally letting out a _yip_ of amusement.

"Traitor!" Kiba shouted at the ninken as he avoided another attack. "Why are you being so violent, Hanabi? I was referring to the annoying brat over there, not you!"

Konohamaru dropped from the tree and grabbed a fallen branch.

"Hit his leg so _I_ can get him!" He shouted, charging after them and Hinata collapsed with laughter while Naruto shook his head in amused disbelief.

.

"I can't believe you didn't help me." Kiba grumped as they all headed across the rooftops towards Ichiraku's for lunch. "You're my team-mates. You should have saved me from those two monsters."

Hanabi, who was perched on Hinata's back, stuck her tongue out at him while from Naruto's back, Konohamaru laughed.

"I felt that you could handle the situation." Naruto said, the amusement evident in his voice. "Besides, Hanabi knows where I sleep, I don't want her waking me up by throwing a glass of juice over me _again_."

"It was _one_ time!" Hanabi protested. "And it was an accident!"

Konohamaru's laughter intensified, earning him a _glare_ from Hanabi.

"Okay, everyone calm down." Naruto said firmly. "Hanabi, it's okay to laugh at yourself occasionally, we were only teasing you."

Hanabi pouted for a moment, then she smiled as Ichiraku's came into view and Team 7 dropped to the street in front of it. Hinata let her drop down to the ground and Naruto followed suit with Konohamaru. Both of the younger children ran ahead, Hanabi to claim her favourite seat and Konohamaru because he wasn't going to let her beat him _this_ time like she had with the tree-walking.

"They've really got into the spirit of competition, haven't they?" Naruto murmured in amusement, causing the other two genin to nod in agreement.

"I think they like each other." Kiba noted, earning a surprised look. "What? They were both paying lots of attention to how the other one was doing, but they don't smell of anger or hate. I think they have a friendly rivalry starting up. We need to get them training together more often, they'll push each other to do better."

Naruto nodded as he lifted one of the hanging flaps for Hinata to enter, then he sat down at one of the spare seats as the waitress appeared.

"Ayame-nee-san!" Hanabi called in greeting and Ayame smiled at the young Hyuuga.

"Good afternoon, Hanabi-chan. Who's your new friend?"

"His name is Konohamaru and he's _annoying_." Hanabi huffed, causing Konohamaru to growl slightly.

"You're the annoying one." He shot back and Ayame giggled.

"Oh, that is so cute."

Both children gave her a look of betrayal which only caused her giggles to intensify before she managed to regain control. "So, what can I get you?"

"I'll have two beef ramen, please!" Kiba grinned. "And a bowl of beef for Akamaru."

"I'll have the seafood ramen please." Hanabi said and Hinata nodded.

"Same for me, please."

"I'll go for beef." Konohamaru announced and Naruto paused.

"Two miso ramen, a beef ramen and a chicken special to start with, please." Naruto said, earning a shocked look from Konohamaru. Ayame just chuckled.

"You're going to drain your clan treasury at this rate." She teased and Naruto shrugged.

"The only cause worthier than this is sitting right next to me."

Hinata blushed as Kiba snickered, earning himself a gentle strike with the ladle that Ayame was carrying, then she accepted the chopsticks proffered to her as her ramen was placed before her.

"Itadakimasu." The group chorused and Hanabi paused, her first bite halfway to her mouth as she watched Naruto eat his ramen, apparently straight through his mask. Putting down her chopsticks, she activated her _Byakugan_ and smirked.

"Nice genjutsu."

Naruto paused just long enough to say "Thanks." before resuming eating. Konohamaru paused with a confused look on his face and Kiba took pity on him.

"Ruto is using a small genjutsu taught to ANBU to make it look like his mask is still on his face rather than lifted up to allow him to eat. They say that the technique was invented by Hatake Kakashi."

"Hatake Kakashi." Hinata mused. "Isn't he the only _non_ -Uchiha who has the _Sharingan_?"

"He is." A new voice yawned and they all turned to see Nara Shikamaru taking one of the spare seats. "One miso ramen please."

"Coming up!" Ayame chirped.

"What's he like as a teacher?" Naruto asked curiously and Shikamaru shrugged.

"He's rather lazy when he can be, but he has the skill to back it up. He tested our teamwork and declared it good, so he got us training in stuff designed to get us to a higher level. Bastard has me working with a madman called Maito Gai every week, fighting his apprentice."

"Gai-sensei's awesome." Naruto laughed, earning a shocked look from the newcomer. "What? He helped to enhance the _Jyuuken_ and _Juho_ as well as training me. And… apprentice? You mean Rock Lee?"

Shikamaru winced as he nodded. "That's him. He's _fast_. And when he takes off his weights…"

Shikamaru shuddered, then nodded in thanks as a bowl was placed in front of him.

"What I did to Ino at the start of our academy days with my bloodlimit, Lee can do with sheer speed." Naruto explained and Hanabi giggled, having heard the story.

"You guys entering the exams as well?" Shikamaru asked and all three genin of team seven nodded.

"Itachi-sensei says that he believes that we are advanced enough that we should gain promotion." Hinata added, earning a raised eyebrow.

"I've heard about how good Itachi is. If he said _that_ … I guess it means that my team will be avoiding yours if possible. You lot sound too troublesome."

.

"We have lost several years from our plan, but we can resume it at last." Said one of the nine shimmering outlines balanced on what looked like rounded pillars. "Sasori, report on the target locations."

"My spies indicate that the Ichibi, the Nibi, the Hachibi and the Kyuubi containers will all be at the Chunin exams in Konoha, the Ichibi and Kyuubi as genin seeking promotion." The hunched silhouette rasped.

"Interesting…" The first silhouette mused. "Four Jinchuuriki at one place, it is only a shame that we cannot yet capitalize on it. Orochimaru."

"Yes, leader-sama?" Another figure hissed.

"You have plans for an assault to destroy Konoha. Pull out those plans and alter them for a decapitation strike and severe damage. Konoha will pay for their deception regarding the Kyuubi container."

"I do not know what other countries will aid us with such short notice." Orochimaru mused. "Iwa would be a possibility, but with the revelation that the son of the Yondaime lives and knows at least one of his father's jutsu…"

"True." The Leader agreed. "My Six Paths shall walk beside you, as shall our newest recruit. It will serve as a test of his loyalty."

"Then that will change the situation." Orochimaru smirked. "Give me a day to check my files and I shall have the basics of a plan ready."

"Excellent. Our timing shall be for the final stage of the exams. We shall let _everyone_ know that we are not to be trifled with."

"As you command, leader-sama."

"If there is no more business, then you are dismissed."

Seven of the nine figures flickered from existence.

"I do not trust the Snake-sannin, my lord."

"He knows better than to betray a god." The first figure said. "You need not worry. We shall bring peace to the world, for only through pain can a lasting peace be achieved."

"Yes, my lord." The second figure said before it vanished and the remaining figure turned round. Its eyes, boasting multiple concentric rings around a small pupil, looked up at the giant demonic statue, upon which one of its fingers it was standing on.

"Yes." It said. "The Red Dawn shall bring peace. Peace to all, peace to the world, peace which can be achieved only through pain. So I have said, so it shall be."

The figure flickered and faded, leaving the cavern in the dark once more.


	18. Beginning The Exam

Naruto, Kiba and Hinata looked round, the direction of their gazes obscured by the blank masks that they wore. They had joined the other chunin-hopefuls on the field outside the Academy in front of a large stage that had been assembled and on which all of the various jonin-sensei were seated, handing in their forms to one of the chunin sat at desks around the field. As the sun hit the highest point, a trenchcoat-wearing scarred man took the middle of the stage and stared at them.

"Quieten down."

The genin quickly ended their conversations and turned their attention to the tall man.

"My name is Morino Ibiki and I am your proctor for the first stage of the Chunin exams." He said, his voice somehow carrying across the entire field. "You are here because you believe yourselves ready for promotion."

The already-quiet crowd went totally silent.

"The second test will begin at one o'clock tomorrow afternoon." Ibiki said. "However, you will need to wait until noon tomorrow to find out where it is, since that is when we will display the location on that sign up there. Your jonin-sensei have not been told, neither have most of the shinobi here. The entry requirement is a single scroll like these, to get one, you need to complete a task given to you by a Jonin _not_ of your village. You will be able to find the Jonin on various training fields until dusk, they will give you a mission to complete. Do it, and you get a scroll. You must present the scroll to gain entry, so if you cannot impress a Jonin, you can always find _another_ way of acquiring the scroll. You are not allowed to enter any building between now and the start of the exam, doing so will result in you being expelled. The use of crippling or killing techniques will lead to your expulsion. Jonin, to your stations."

The shinobi on the stage rose and vanished. Some of them used various types of _Shunshin_ while others used pure speed, _Kawarimi_ or other methods to depart.

"You have your tasks and you have been given maps." Ibiki said. "Begin!"

Naruto sent a chakra pulse and an instant later, Team 7 were standing atop the Hokage Monument.

"Nice _Kawarimi_." Kiba snickered as they looked over the village, with the blurs of movement showing where the competitors were starting their searches. "Got a plan?"

" _Henge_ d _Kage Bunshin_." Naruto shrugged. "One of us leads each group and we do three different missions, then we meet outside Hinata's and my house. I'm certain that Hanabi will be happy to hide the scrolls we receive until tomorrow morning while we stay outside on watch."

"Oh, that's brilliant." Kiba grinned. "They'll be safe unless a team is willing to be expelled in order to grab them."

"I agree." Hinata said. "We do a mission each and meet outside our home. Ruto-kun, please send several _Toton Bunshin_ there as well. We need to get my sister's co-operation and it will be useful to send messages if needed."

"I'll send a dozen or so." Naruto said, his hands already forming a cross seal. " _Tajuu Kage Bunshin no jutsu_!"

.

Hinata looked round at the training field using her _Byakugan_ , spotting the two Jonin hiding under a genjutsu, playing cards. Silently walking over to them, she coughed to get their attention.

"Sorry for the intrusion, Suna-nin-san, but I believe that you have a mission for us?"

The Suna shinobi, who was wearing a veil over half his face, nodded and picked up a clipboard.

"Retrieve a token from the table set in the middle of the Chunin Stadium and bring it back here. Be warned, there will be several chunin guarding it with their pay depending on how many tokens remain by the time the exam starts."

"Thank you." Hinata said with a bow. "Good luck with your game."

As she walked away, she channeled some chakra to her ears in a trick that Kiba had taught her and she caught the conversation behind her.

"Polite little thing isn't she. What's with the mask, though?"

"She's part of Team 7."

"Ah, the one with the Yondaime's son. So, it's to stop us working out which one of them he is. Clever, I think they should get extra points for that."

Hinata grinned behind her mask.

.

Kiba raised his mask and took a sniff. He could smell… two people, one of whom had an under-scent of rusty metal that he didn't recognize.

Must be the non-Konoha shinobi.

Moving to where the scent was strongest, Kiba looked up and saw the two Jonin looking down at him from the branches.

"Hello." He said, "We're here for the mission you have."

The Ame Jonin nodded and accepted a clipboard from the Konoha shinobi.

"Your mission is to retrieve a token from the top of the Hokage tower. It is being guarded by chunin whose pay depends on how many tokens they manage to keep. Bring it here for a scroll."

"Hai!" Kiba replied with a salute, then he dropped his mask back down over his face and ran towards the distant Hokage tower with his _Kage Bunshin_ escort.

"Interesting team." The Ame shinobi said thoughtfully.

"Team seven." The Konoha shinobi replied with a shrug, earning a long look.

"The one with the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki? Interesting. I understand the masks now."

The Konoha shinobi shrugged and drew another line on the pad between them. "You can't block me now."

The Ame shinobi stared at the dots and lines in front of him before sighing. "Best of nine?"

.

Naruto smirked as one of his clones sent out a series of chakra pulses that told him where the jonin were. Hinata's idea of turning sign language into a series of arrhythmic pulses let him communicate with his clones silently without the need to create and dispel them to pass messages, something which made a noise that was audible enough that it would put his targets on guard. Mentally thanking Hiashi for helping him create a mask that could channel his chakra, Naruto used it to completely vanish. Moving into position, he waited until his _Henge_ d clones had taken up position around the two jonin before he sent out the signal.

"What the heck?!" Ebisu yelped as the three figures (and dog) rippled into visibility in front of him. The other Jonin, a large dark-skinned man with half-a-dozen or so swords on his back and an asymmetrical white flack jacket, whistled in appreciation.

"How'd ya do that without a sound? Ah didn't even know you were around!"

Naruto grinned under his mask. He'd heard of this shinobi and had even come up with a few possible lines to use.

"I give you this warning for your health/ I'm a true master of stealth.  
"You never see me coming, I'm suddenly there/ means all my enemies had better beware.  
"But now I need the mission that you hold/ If I'm gonna be a chunin before I get old."

The Kuno nin stared at him, eyes so wide that the whites were just visible around the sunglasses he was wearing, then he grinned and held out a fist.

"I'm Killa Bee and ah like your style/ haven't met another rapper for a while.  
"You gotta grab a token from the Yondaime's head/ but there be guards, dat's what I said.  
"Grab a single token and bring it to me/ and I'll grant you a scroll, you see?  
"But before you leave with a mighty jump/ come fellow rapper, gimme a fist bump!  
"Yo!"

Naruto tapped his fist against Bee's and then crouched before leaping into the canopy of the trees, headed for the Hokage mountain.

"Well." Ebisu managed after a moment. "That was… different."

.

Hinata leaned against the pillar and activated her _Byakugan_ , using it to scan the Chunin Arena. After a long moment, she smirked and motioned for one of Naruto's clones to get near.

"Can you _Kawarimi_ with something as small as a token?"

The clone nodded and Hinata pulled a smoke bomb out of her pocket. Placing it on the ground, she pushed it out so that it was within line of sight of the table.

"I need you to swap with a token, then swap again with this smoke bomb. Once you've done that, we all head back to the training field."

"Understood." The clone said as it rippled into invisibility. An instant later, a token appeared in mid-air and Hinata grabbed it, stuffing it into a sleeve pocket, then the smoke bomb vanished. As the chunin guarding the tokens started shouting in alarm from within the sudden smoke cloud, Hinata ran towards the exit, the clones following her.

.

Kiba frowned as he examined the top of the Hokage Tower from his viewpoint. The chunin guarding the table of tokens were arranged so that they could intercept any attempt to simply rush the table and their lines of sight were excellent.

Wait.

"Akamaru, I'll distract them and you sneak up to the small hole there. When you think you have a chance, grab a token and dive into the gutter to escape. I'll meet you in the field outside our old Academy room."

Akamaru nodded, then pawed a his coat. Nodding in understanding, Kiba stowed Akamaru's coat and mask, then picked him up and leapt to the ground.

"Okay buddy, I'll wait until you're near the top before doing my distraction on the other side. You good?"

Akamaru nodded and channeled chakra to his paws. Kiba watched him begin to ascend the tower, then moved round to find a place from which he could make a show of failing to sneak up stealthily.

.

Naruto shook his head as he rejoined his clones. His _Toton Kekkei Genkai_ was probably the ultimate trump card in situations like this, he had simply walked up to the table, waited until everyone was looking at a group of Genin that had completely messed up their stealthy approach and then simply palmed a token before leaving.

He hoped that the other two were doing as well as he was.

.

Kiba leapt upon the roof, then darted sideways to behind one of the curved panels that provided areas of shade. A startled shout informed him that he had been spotted and he ran up the panel to near the top, grabbing the edge and looked round, only to see most of the chunin staring up at him.

"Ummm, hi?"

"Get him!"

Hiding a grin, Kiba slid down the panel, using his Chakra to stay in contact with the wall while controlling his descent. Glancing back, he saw several of the chunin running down after him while the rest lined the edge of the balcony.

Idiots.

Leaping into a nearby tree, Kiba darted away and then doubled back, sneaking into the Academy grounds and running to the courtyard outside his old classroom where Akamaru was waiting for him with a token. The two clones with him were shamelessly patting him and Akamaru had relaxed to the point that he almost looked like a puddle of fur.

"Nice job, partner." Kiba smiled. "Now, let's swap the token for the scroll!"

.

"Jonin-san?"

Baki looked round, his visible eyebrow rising in surprise. "That was fast."

"I have a token for you. May I have a scroll, please?"

"Of course." Baki said, pulling a small scroll out of his inner pocket and handing it over in exchange for the token. "You're the first team to get a scroll, you realize you now have to keep it safe until the second stage starts tomorrow?"

"Yes, Jonin-san. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Baki replied and he watched her leave. "I wonder how they did it that fast?"

"Meh, I have no idea." His Konoha colleague said. After several more thoughtful seconds, they both shrugged and pulled out orange-covered books. Soon, small perverted giggles could be heard.

.

Kiba landed in a crouch on the branch above the two Jonin and held up the token.

"Got it!"

"That was fast." The Ame ninja said, then he shrugged and made a quick mark on his clipboard. "Very well, here's the scroll. No other teams have yet claimed one."

"Cool." Kiba grinned as he exchanged the token for the scroll. "Thanks, Jonin-san!"

"I wonder how he did that." The Ame shinobi mused, watching as Kiba and his companions vanished into the trees.

.

"I'm now back in victory/ you have a scroll to give to me.  
"Here's my token, take it please/ I'll take the scroll then to the trees.  
"Rank of chunin, here we come/ gimme the scroll and I'll have some fun!"

Ebisu shook his head while Killer Bee grinned widely.

"Ah gotta say your rap is fine/ I don't 'spect less from Mr nine.  
"Just so ya know, I'm Mr eight/ Meetin' you must be fate.  
"You are the first to get a scroll/ Ah gotta say you're on a roll!  
"Yo!"

Naruto accepted the proffered scroll and once again fist-bumped the Kumo nin before leaping away. As he did so, the frowned to himself.

"What did he mean by saying he's Mr eight and I'm Mr nine… He's a Jinchuuriki as well! He must hold the eight-tailed one!"

.

Kiba landed just in front of the small house and was promptly glomped off his feet by Hanabi.

"Hey, Hanabi-chan." Kiba said as the small girl hugged him, then rolled off him to pick up Akamaru. "Good tackle."

"Did you get a scroll?" Hinata asked and Kiba nodded, pulling out the scroll, only for it to be plucked from his grasp.

"What the…? Hiashi-sama!"

Kiba leapt to his feet as Hiashi tucked the scroll next to an orange-colored book. "I shall keep this one safe for you and return it tomorrow morning."

"Thank you, Hiashi-sama." Kiba said, bowing slightly.

"I could do no less for my daughter's team." Hiashi replied. "Dinner will be served in the eastern garden. I expect to see all of you there."

"Thank you, Hiashi-san." Naruto said from behind Kiba, causing him to jolt in shock.

"I did not know if a tent counted as a structure for the purposes of this test, so I have provided a tarpaulin that you can tie between those trees to shelter you if it rains." Hiashi continued. "My brother suggested it."

"Indeed I did." Hizashi said as he walked up. "Ruto-san, do you wish for me to safeguard your scroll until the morrow?"

"It would be appreciated, Hizashi-san." Naruto replied with a bow. Hizashi accepted the proffered scroll and placed it in his sleeve pocket.

"Then I shall return it to you at breakfast tomorrow." He said with a slight smile.

"I wonder how Neji-nii-san's doing." Hinata mused.

.

Neji collapsed against the tree, panting heavily. Although his team had managed to get a scroll, they had been spotted and at least four other teams had targeted them in an attempt to liberate their scroll from their grasp.

"The actions of our adversaries are most unyouthful." Lee noted and Neji gave him an exhausted glare. The sword-wielding taijutsu prodigy wasn't even breathing hard.

"We're going to have to find somewhere safe tonight." Tenten mused and Neji paused in thought.

"We can go to my clan's compound."

"Excellent idea." Tenten agreed. "Okay, I'm ready to move out. Are we clear?"

Neji activated his _Byakugan_ for a moment, then he nodded.

"Then let's go."

"YO-mmmph!"

"Quietly!" Tenten hissed and Lee nodded as much as he was able to given the hand clamped over his mouth.

.

Neji froze at the sight before him and his two team-mates, picking up on his shock, moved to see what had him so unbalanced.

"Hello, Neji."

"Father." Neji managed after a few moments of trying to mentally re-balance himself.

"Come, join us. Do you want me to look after your scroll for you tonight?"

"That… would be very kind of you, father." Neji managed as he staggered forwards to sit on the large rug beside his father. Looking round, he saw his cousin's team talking to Hitomi while Hiashi was examining some documents on a clipboard.

"If you need to refresh yourself, we have a field-expedient privy set up behind the bushes with special sheets to block the _Byakugan_." Hizashi added. "We did it so that your team-mates will not be embarrassed."

"I'm good for now, but thank you." Tenten said with a bow as she sat. Lee also sat down, looking round in bewilderment.

"Neji-san, has your clan ever done this before?"

"No." Neji said slowly. "Kai!"

"This isn't a genjutsu, my son." Hizashi smiled. "We decided that since you could not join us if we ate inside, we would simply have a picnic instead."

"Hyuuga do picnics?" Tenten wondered and Hizashi's lips quirked in a slight smile.

"When the situation calls for it. There might be some rain tonight, so a tarpaulin and some rope have been provided."

"…thank you, tou-san."

"Oh, no need to thank me." Hizashi shrugged. "When Hanabi worked out what was going on, she insisted we helped her sister, cousin and soon-to-be brother-in-law. What you see here does not break the rules in the slightest. Of course, I would still advise keeping watch tonight."

Neji nodded slowly.

"…thank you, tou-san."

.

"So, how should we do this?" Kiba wondered. "I don't think that we should have Hinata and Neji watching at the same time since they both have the _Byakugan_ and it would mean we only get its protection for one watch rather than two, but…"

"May I suggest that I watch with Lee-san, Kiba with Neji-nii-san and Tenten-san with Ruto-kun?" Hinata offered diffidently. "That way, we have a good balance of sensor and offence on each watch while still keeping an eye on each other."

"An excellent and most youthful plan!" Lee half-shouted, earning several _looks_.

"Lee-san, my sister has only just gone to sleep. Please don't wake her up."

"…sorry."

"Then I bid you all good evening." Neji said as he rose and walked over to the angled shelter his team had made from the tarpaulin. Ducking into it, he climbed into his sleeping bag and closed his eyes. A rustling behind him told him that Tenten had followed him and settled into her own sleeping bag.

"I feel sorry for your cousin." Tenten whispered and Neji rolled onto his back so that he could look at her, his eyebrow raised quizzically.

"She's stuck for almost three hours with our team-mate and no-one to help her by distracting him."

Neji winced with sympathy, then rolled back onto his side, closing his eyes.

"YO-mmmph! Sorry, I'll be quiet now."

Neji smirked. He would have to ask Tenten to learn from Hinata how to shut Lee up like that.


	19. Night Watch

Hinata perched on a branch above the campsite and briefly activated her _Byakugan_ so that she could scan the area. The patrols were moving round just inside the compound walls, using the _Byakugan_ themselves so as to watch out for any intruder while still remaining hidden. The two gate guards were also using their _Byakugan_ , albeit only one of them using it at a time in order to avoid chakra depletion.

Closer in, the privacy seals on the walls of certain buildings resulted in blind-spots that could be used by an intruder, but the roving patrols had had their paths plotted and timed by Nara Shikaku himself in order to minimize any openings.

Of course, Naruto could walk through the defenses with ease, due to his bloodlimit.

As if the thought had directed her action, Hinata briefly focused on her fiancee, asleep in the bedroll under the tarpaulin to her left. Her lips quirked into a brief smile as she saw how he'd pulled a pillow to him, wrapping an arm round it like he did to her when she shared her bed with him.

"All quiet?" Lee asked from beside her and Hinata deactivated her _Byakugan_ with a sigh of relief.

"So far, yes."

Lee nodded as he reached into the bag he had brought up with him and pulled out an insulated flask. Opening it, he poured out a cup of tea and gave it to her.

"I was wondering," He said quietly, "how does your clan defend against intruders who tunnel in?"

"As most of the clan are _Doton_ users, we had a great deal of experience to draw upon in countering such a threat." Hinata said, then she pointed. "Do you see the edges of the path just inside the outer walls?"

Lee nodded.

"The edging is part of the security system. We have bamboo posts reinforced with metal going into the ground to five times the height of a man. There are small bells set at the top, so if anyone should try to tunnel through, they will hit the posts and thus ring the bells, telling us where they are."

Lee gave a very quiet whistle at that. "That's a _lot_ of posts."

"The walls themselves have reinforcing seals built into the very patterns of the bricks, designed to not interfere with our _Byakugan_. This lets us look outwards while being concealed from view. The walls behind the gate guards have hinged panels that sound the alarm if the guard falls against them, meaning that even a killing strike may not stop them from alerting the clan to an attack."

"Wow." Lee managed, then he looked across the garden to the house tucked into the corner. One of the bedroom windows was open, letting them see Hanabi, curled up in the middle of the double bed and hugging one of the pillows in her sleep, a wide smile on her face.

"You are very lucky to have a sister like her." Lee said wistfully and Hinata nodded.

"I am, but it doesn't feel that way when she lands on us at dawn."

Lee looked at her curiously and Hinata decided to explain a little more. "My little sister loves to be hugged. It's not a traditionally Hyuuga thing, but we sort-of joke that it's a Yurei thing. Almost every other morning, she wakes us up by leaping on us, demanding a hug."

"Hugs are nice." Lee agreed, earning himself a curious look from Hinata, then she shook her head slightly and took a sip from her tea.

"How is your kenjutsu coming along?" She asked and Lee almost glowed with pride.

"I am being trained by Uzuke Yugao and Gekko Hayate, the Swordmistress and Swordmaster of Konoha. Although my inability to mold chakra means that many of their techniques are forever beyond me, I have trained hard to try and equal their speed and skill. I can even dual-wield swords and take on multiple adversaries!"

"Wow." Hinata breathed.

Lee nodded. "I have trained my Flames of Youth under Gai-Sensei and learned the Dances of Steel from Yugao-Sensei and Hayate-Sensei. All three of them have agreed that I am ready for the exams."

Hinata nodded as she scanned the area again.

"What about yourselves? Neji-san said that with Ruto-san on your team, you were almost unstoppable."

Hinata gave Lee a curious look. "Didn't Gai-Sensei warn you about Ruto-kun's bloodlimit?"

"I don't recall him doing so." Lee frowned. "Although for some reason he has yet to divulge, he has spent quite some time teaching us all to fight blindfolded."

Hinata's eyes widened in shock. Naruto's greatest strength was against Ninja who relied mainly on their sight (giving him a real trump card when going up against most _Dojutsu_ users), but Maito Gai had obviously thought hard about what Naruto's _Toton Kekkei Genkai_ meant and had trained his team to counter it without actually telling them _why_ they were learning it.

"Very cunning, Gai-san." Hinata whispered. She would have to inform Naruto about it in the morning. It wouldn't do to have him blindsided.

Hinata paused to mentally chuckle at the unintentional joke, then she sobered.

She had heard stories about blind ninja, but had never really considered them much more than legends, a stance which was understandable given the Hyuuga's reliance on their bloodlimit.

Perhaps it was time to root out the old stories and consider how to counter the abilities mentioned therein.

Lee gave her a curious look, but he obviously recognized her thoughtful expression because he soon resumed trying to scan for any possible intruders.

.

Kiba yawned as Hinata gently shook him awake. Crawling out of his sleeping bag, he mentally debated whether he should wake up Akamaru as well, but a glance at the small ball of fur that was his partner dissuaded him. Instead, he stretched, feeling his vertebra pop back into alignment, then moved out and jumped into the tree overlooking the two shelters. A few sniffs confirmed that it was the lookout post that Hinata had chosen. A couple of moments later, he was joined by Hinata's cousin, Neji.

"Neji-san."

"Kiba-san." Neji replied quietly.

The duo remained quiet for several minutes, then Neji deactivated his _Byakugan_ and looked at the younger genin.

"I am curious. Can your senses detect Ruto-san?"

"No." Kiba shrugged. "Can't see him, can't smell him. Can hear him, but he's learning to be _damned_ quiet."

"Interesting." Neji mused and Kiba shrugged.

"I've been doing lots of work on my _Doton_ affinity, Itachi-sensei told me about a shinobi who used the ground itself as a way of detecting his enemies by their movements."

"Interesting." Neji repeated. "I wonder if you could do that with air as well. If you could, it would be fairly similar to the _Byakugan_."

Kiba shrugged. "You mean like a seventh sense or something? Well, Ruto's the only one on our team with a _Futon_ affinity and he's scary enough already."

"But it might be worth mentioning to him." Neji countered. "Even if he cannot do it, he might be able to do something similar, or that is derived from the idea."

"But why now? I mean, we're competitors for the exam, even if we're under a truce at the moment."

"Even if you told him now, he would not be able to create a useful technique out of it for quite some time." Neji explained. "That being the case, there is no harm in making the suggestion."

Kiba nodded, then sighed, earning a quizzical look.

"I feel like I'm the weakest of us all." He said slowly. "Hinata-chan and Ruto work together perfectly. I manage to work alongside them, but they work with each other way better than I can work with them. Ruto's got that _Toton Kekkei Genkai_ of his that's bloody scary when you actually stop and think about it while Hinata uses that weird Gentle Step style that I have _no_ idea how to counter."

"It is quite difficult." Neji admitted. "Even I am hard-pressed during my spars with her. Hinata-san trained somewhat in _Jyuuken_ in addition to her lessons in _Juho_ , giving her knowledge about the strengths and weaknesses of our preferred style. The opposite is not as true, as I have discovered on _several_ occasions."

The last bit was in a somewhat rueful tone of voice and Kiba nodded.

"Out of interest, that babe on your team…"

Kiba stuttered to a halt as Neji activated his _Byakugan_ and _glared_ at him.

"… what did I say wrong?"

"That… _babe_ is my team-mate, Tenten." Neji ground out.

Kiba nodded frantically. "Yeah! I was just wondering what she does? I mean, you're a taijutsu expert, Lee uses a sword, what does she do? Ninjutsu? Genjutsu?"

"Mainly shurikenjutsu." Neji finally said. "There is not a single throwing weapon that I have seen which Tenten cannot use after only a couple of practice throws. She is almost as skilled with melee weapons as well, Lee has learned quite a few of his kenjutsu skills from her."

Kiba whistled in awe. "Wow, I wonder if she can recommend some weapons for me? I mean, I know that my normal style normally doesn't use it except for a few moves using kunai."

"Kunai?"

"I've seen nee-san and the triplets using a _really_ scary move, the Steel Rotating Fang. It's similar to the Fang Rotating Fang, except that it uses Kunai on string to enhance the cutting. You _don't_ want to get in the way of that one, I saw her take down a row of trees just doing it alone, and once the triplets joined in…"

Kiba shuddered and Neji noted with some dark amusement that the shudder was in no way feigned.

"Have you learned that technique yourself?"

"Hell, no." Kiba replied. "Akamaru and I are still learning the Fang Passing Fang. We can do it, it's just aiming it that's the problem. Akamru has to use Dynamic Marking first."

"Dynamic marking?"

Kiba looked slightly embarrassed. "Umm, Akamaru scent-marks them by… _pissing_ on them."

Neji stared at him for a long moment, then hastily muffled his snort of laughter. "He _what_?"

"Pisses on them." Kiba confirmed. "It also slows them somewhat as they're generally busy complaining about it. It's a good distraction in its own right."

"And then you use…?"

" _Gatsuga_."

"Fang Passing Fang." Neji mused slowly. "Sounds like quite a technique… in its own right."

"If I can aim the darned thing." Kiba grumbled, ignoring Neji's purposeful echoing of him. "I have to spin very, very fast to do it, and keeping track of a target while doing that…"

"I have a similar issue with the _Kaiten_." Neji admitted. "For a second or so after, I am slightly disoriented. I am still training to overcome that weakness, but it is usually only an issue against multiple opponants."

Kiba frowned thoughtfully. "Hinata's never mentioned that weakness. Come to think about it, she said that Ruto is helping her come up with something to replace it…"

Neji froze for a long moment, then he turned to look at Kiba.

"I was… unaware of this. Has she given any clue as to what this… new technique is?"

"She called it the… what was it… eight trigram protecting palms or something like that. I wasn't really listening. Sorry."

"It does not matter." Neji said. "I now know more than I did before, enough to know that I should be wary. I wonder if she would teach me?"

"She talks about you quite a bit, she looks up to you." Kiba shrugged. "If you ask her, I'm sure that she'll teach you. I'd wait until _after_ the exams, though. You don't want to get distracted from them."

"Indeed I do not." Neji agreed. "Thank you, Kiba-san."

.

Naruto yawned and tried to sit up, only to be pulled back down by an arm. Glancing across, he smiled, then created a _Toton Bunshin_ before _Kawarimi_ 'ing with it.

"Keep her comfortable." He whispered.

"No probs, boss."

Naruto rose, adjusting his tunic and pulling his mesh gloves on. Donning his Happurai, he nodded to Kiba and then leapt up into the tree to where Hinata had settled at the start of her watch. Creating a dozen invisible clones, he used chakra-pulses to command them to move to vantage points around the compound.

"Wow." A voice said and Naruto turned to find Tenten staring at him from mere inches away. "I can't see _you_ at all! I mean, there's no distortion or anything!"

"The power of my bloodlimit." Naruto shrugged and Tenten nodded, then glanced down to where Hinata was sleeping, her arm draped over what appeared to be empty air.

"And her arm is floating… because?"

"It's a _Toton Bunshin_." Naruto whispered. "She sleeps better when she can snuggle up to me."

Tenten smiled gently at Naruto's comment. "That's so sweet. How long has she been doing that?"

"Ever since the first day we met." Naruto shrugged. "We were six and Hanabi had just been born. So… close to seven years. Of course, we were only found out after a year and a half, when the old Elders tried to seize control from Hiashi-sama and I helped take them down. That was when Hiashi decided that as Hinata and I had been together for so long, and Hanabi liked having me around so much, that Hinata and I should be betrothed."

Tenten _hmmmm_ 'd thoughtfully, then her gaze drifted over to the sleeping bag containing Neji. Naruto smirked.

"You've fallen for him, haven't you?"

Tenten blushed, then she glared at him before sighing.

"You know, it's really not as effective when I can't see you." She huffed.

"It was a very good glare." Naruto said reassuringly, then he ducked as Tentent tried to dope-slap him. "Hey, careful! You don't want to cause my clones to dispel."

"You have clones?"

" _Kage Bunshin_ variant called _Toton Bunshin_ , remember? I just told you about them." Naruto shrugged. "I have them scattered all over the place, keeping an eye out."

"Wow." Tenten said slowly. "That's almost as good as the _Byakugan_ for security."

"Which is why Hinata suggested that her, Neji and I be on different watches." Naruto explained, earning a slow nod of understanding.

"So… how good are you with your bloodlimit?"

"Pretty good, given that I don't have anyone to show me how to use it." Naruto shrugged. "Of course, while I'm invisible, any attacks I make using _Futon_ , _Raiton_ or _Kaiton_ _are_ visible. Even my pure chakra attack, the _Rasengan_ , creates a weird rippling effect."

"Oh, thank Kami." Tenten whispered, earning a curious glance. "Sorry, but if your attacks were invisible too, I'd have to quit instantly if I went head-to-head against you.

"I can combine them with my _Toton Bunshin_ to make it look like I'm creating the techniques out of empty space." Naruto added and Tenten went wide-eyed.

"That must be _seriously_ freaky to go up against if you don't know what's going on." Tenten said and Naruto nodded.

"Blame Sarutobi Asuma and Mitarashi Anko." He said with a slight chuckle. "Anko-san especially, she even borrowed a couple of my clones to help her play a trick on her boss, Morino Ibiki. They snuck into his office and rotated his desk and chairs every time he left the room so that they faced the other way. Anko was laughing for a week about it."

Tenten snorted with hastily-suppressed laughter at that. "No, really?"

"Really. They also taught me a trick with my _Kawarimi_."

"What, you use your clones to bring the enemy to you?" Tenten giggled, then she froze as Naruto didn't respond. "No. Freaking. Way."

"It's how I got Anko-san and Itachi-sensei into and out of Gato's mansion."

"Oh, you _so_ have to tell me that story."

.

"…so, are you all ready?"

"We just need our scrolls." Hinata said, then she looked at Hanabi, who nodded and ran off, returning a minute later with the scroll that she had been given. Neji looked up from where he was receiving his scroll back from his father and his eyes widened as he saw Hizashi then hand a scroll over to Naruto at the same time as Hiashi passed one to Kiba.

"Wha… bu… _three_ … how?"

" _Kage Bunshin_." Hinata smiled. "Each of us led a different group of them to maximize our chances of getting a scroll. Thus… three."

Neji stared at them, then he sighed and shook his head.

"Ruto-san, are you even aware of the box that most people think inside of?"

"Box?" Naruto asked in confusion. "What box?"

"Never mind." Neji sighed. "After five years, I should be used to you by now, but you just keep on surprising me. At least you're not a knucklehead as well, that would be _really_ embarrassing."

"So." Naruto said, abandoning the topic and shifting to a new one. "Do we head for the meeting area together as allies or separately. I vote for together so we outnumber any team that would attack us for our scrolls. Vote?"

"Together." Hinata said and Kiba nodded.

"Seconded."

"It would be a most youthful way of ensuring our success!"

"Allies until the next stage begins." Tenten said and Neji shrugged.

"I might as well make it unanimous. Allies. Votes for leader?"

"Neji!" Naruto said, earning a surprised look. "What? You've got the best range on your _Byakugan_ and I know that your knowledge of tactics is way better than mine, especially with Tenten and Lee. I wouldn't be able to deploy them as efficiently."

"…alright." Neji conceded. "Then I suggest we wait for another hour before setting off. By then, most of the other teams should be moving towards the assembly point and with Hinata and myself using our _Byakugan_ , plus Ruto-san's _Toton Bunshin_ s, we should be able to find a way past any who have yet to acquire a scroll."

"Good plan!" Naruto said, then he frowned. "I just wish I knew why the scrolls have two variants. I mean, this one says _Heaven_ and these two say _Earth_."

"We have an _Earth_ one as well." Neji said after he examined his team's scroll. "The proctors will probably tell us why just before the next stage."

"I hope so." Kiba said with a sigh. "I'd hate to lose just because they didn't bother to mention something important."

"We all would."Hinata agreed. "We all would."


	20. Into the Forest

"The forest of death." Hinata breathed as the seal-reinforced fence came into view. "Anko-san told me quite a bit about it while we were scouting out Gato's mansion. There are a large number of dangerous animals and plants in there."

"Then since you know more than we do, you have command while we are in there." Naruto said, then he looked at Kiba, who nodded.

"I can smell the things in there, but it'll take me a day or so to identify enough of it to let me help guide us. Hinata has my vote."

Akamaru _yip_ ped and Kiba nodded. "Akamaru's too."

Hinata looked at her team-mates, then sighed. "If you are both certain, then I shall do my best."

"We know." Naruto smiled, then he looked round. "Hey, is that Zabuza standing over there?"

Kiba and Hinata spun round and their shocked gazes came to rest on none other than Momochi Zabuza who was talking to Mitarashi Anko while three Mist genin stood nearby, each with a different weapon on their backs.

"It… is…" Kiba swallowed nervously. "But… how?"

"I have a different question." Hinata said slowly. "Why is the hunter-nin from Wave with him?"

"Let's find out." Kiba said and he stalked towards the swordsman with Hinata and Naruto following closely. Zabuza saw them coming.

"What the…? You got _three_ of the invisible kid?"

Anko glanced over and started to laugh. "Nah, the other two decided to dress like the _Toton_ gaki. Means their enemies have no clue as to which one they are facing and since they can _Kawarimi_ with each other without warning, even when they have been identified, they can still switch."

"Very clever." Zabuza nodded in approval, then he waved over the three Kiri genin.

"Haku, Suigetsu, Chojuro, get over here!"

The three genin moved forwards and Naruto cocked his head. Although two of them were obviously boys, the white-haired one with the odd double-weapon and the one with the two-handled sword on his back, the third one…

"You a boy or girl?" Kiba blurted out, causing both Hinata and Naruto to facepalm. The dark-haired genin simply smiled and remained quiet.

"We could ask the same of you." The white-haired one stated and Kiba growled at him before Naruto placed a warning hand on his shoulder.

"You're masked, remember?"

"So." Zabuza asked as he leaned against a tree, "Which of you is the invisible one who Haku almost killed by accident?"

Naruto sent a chakra pulse to warn his clones to be ready, then he stepped forwards.

"Brats, if you find yourself going up against him, fall back." Zabuza said. "He's got an invisibility trick better than me in my mist plus he can move his entire group out of harm's way in under a second. Still haven't worked out how."

"Yes, Zabuza-sensei." Haku said as Chojuro nodded. Suigetsu simply sneered.

"You mean _this_ is the genin that caused you to… _erk_!"

Everyone around gasped in shock as Zabuza impaled Suigetsu on his blade, but Suigetsu simply walked forwards to get off the blade and then turned to face his sensei.

"Look, just because I can turn into water and back doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt!"

"I know. Now shut up and learn." Zabuza growled. "Their sensei is the Godaime Hokage-to-be, the _Mangekyo_ -user who took _me_ down with a single glance within seconds of his full _Dojutsu_ manifesting. You really think the genin assigned to a shinobi like that would be weak?"

Suigetsu frowned, then his shoulders slumped. "Fuck."

"Yeah." Zabuza said. "Take anyone else out but not them because they'll hand you all your asses, and the Mizukage wouldn't like it if you don't reach the finals."

"Yeah, she's _scary_ when she's angry." Chojuro half-whispered and Zabuza nodded with a distant expression before he brought himself back to reality.

"So. We never got introduced at Wave."

Hinata removed her mask and bowed. "I am Hyuuga Hinata. My team-mates are Inuzuka Kiba, his ninken Akamaru and my fiancée…"

"…Namikaze-Uzumake Naruto, also known as Yurei Ruto." Zabuza interrupted. "I don't think there's a single Shinobi in the Elemental Lands who doesn't know who he is."

"Damn." Naruto swore under his breath.

"You got that right, kid. You're already almost as famous as your old man."

"…you mean the rumor is true?" A new voice said and Naruto looked round to see Ino staring at him. "Wow, I thought it was just another silly story like the one about the Uchiha having a plan to revolt against Konoha, but you're _really_ the son of the Yondaime? No wonder the Hyuuga are letting you marry Hinata!"

"It's not like that!" Hinata protested, then she paused as she considered the facts. "Well, a _bit_ like that, but only a bit."

"Settle down, brats!" Anko shouted and everyone turned to look at her.

"You all have a scroll," Anko said with a wicked grin," But you need _two_ to finish the next stage. Go to one of the desks and show your scroll, then fill in the forms. After all, we don't want your deaths to be blamed on Konoha. Once you've filled out the forms, head for the gate you are assigned to and then wait for the signal to enter the forest. To pass, you need an Earth scroll and a Heaven scroll and then your entire team needs to make it to the tower in the middle. You will have exactly five days before the test ends. If you die, your team is out. Leave the forest before the end of the test, you fail. Got it? Good, now get going!"

Behind their masks, all three genin of Team 7 smirked.

"We'll present our Earth scroll." Naruto said quietly. "There's a free desk over there, let's move."

"And once we get in?" Kiba asked quietly.

"We head straight for the tower." Naruto replied just as quietly. "We move as fast as we can. With luck, we won't meet anyone on the way."

Kiba nodded.

"I agree." Hinata whispered, then she giggled. "It'll mean more time with my snuggly."

Kiba almost choked as he tried not to laugh.

.

" _ONE MINUTE UNTIL THE START OF THE TEST_!" Anko's voice echoed through the loudspeakers. " _THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO QUIT, UNLESS YOU_ WANT _TO DIE_! _**Mwa-ha-hahaha-hahahaha**_!"

"She does a _good_ evil laugh." Kiba said admiringly. "I _gotta_ learn how to do that, it'll really freak out my enemies."

"Indeed." Naruto laughed. "Hey, if we both learn to do it the same way, we can freak people out even more."

"I _like_ it!" Kiba agreed with a wicked grin. "What do you think, Hinata?"

Hinata sighed. "I can see how it could be useful, but it does seem a bit childish."

"Whatever works." Kiba shrugged. "Ruto… once we get in, could you send loads of clones ahead? That way, all we need to do is get within _Kawarimi_ range of the tower and…"

"My clones can jump us the rest of the way." Naruto finished. "Nice."

Kiba grinned.

" _THIRTY SECONDS TO DECIDE TO LEAVE AND LIVE, VICTIMS_!"

"Anko is enjoying that a _little_ too much." Naruto sighed and his team-mates nodded in agreement, then Naruto frowned. "Kiba, how come you couldn't tell Haku's gender? I thought your sense of smell allowed you to know things like that?

Kiba looked embarrassed. "It should, but… I swear that Haku uses _something_ to hide… his? her? gender. I couldn't tell, it's never happened to me before."

"I… could use my _Byakugan_ to find out." Hinata offered and Naruto shrugged.

"It probably isn't all that important."

" _TEN SECONDS_! _IF YOU STAY, YOU'RE GONNA DIE_!"

"Ready?" Naruto asked. "Good. Hinata, team 7 is under your command."

"Get ready." Hinata said as she briefly activated her _Byakugan_.

" _AND GO_!" Anko's voice echoed as the gate in front of them slid open. Hinata dashed into the Forest of Death, flanked by her team-mates.

.

"Mitarashi-san!" One of the chunin shouted as Anko hit the button that re-closed the gates. "We may have a problem with one of the teams!"

Anko turned, one eyebrow raised in query as the chunin skidded to a halt. "Problem?"

"Team 7 of Konoha, ma'am." The chunin explained. "We just finished cross-referencing and they managed to do three missions!"

Anko blinked. "You mean…?"

"Yes, ma'am. They have three scrolls, two Earth and a Heaven. We think they'll head straight for the central tower."

Anko paused, then she sighed. "Ibiki will never let me hear the end of this. I guess we should have gone with his ten-questions test instead…. Wait. Team 7… Hinata-chan's group?"

"…Hyuuga Hinata _is_ one of the members of Team 7." The chunin said slowly and Anko grinned.

"Heh. I worked with them in Wave. Brats are damned good. Should have known they'd pull something like this, I taught them well. Okay… they know Branch Leaping, they've got Ruto, who has so much stamina that he can carry the team if needed… they need to cover ten kilometres… I'd say about twenty minutes. Heh, better get moving."

The chunin frowned. "But… shouldn't we do something? Didn't they cheat?"

"No such thing as cheating." Anko countered. "We're _ninja_ , we do whatever it takes to get the mission done. Pure and simple. They simply did something we didn't predict and more power to them. You got a problem with that?"

"No ma'am!" The chunin half-shouted as Anko released her Killer Intent at him for a brief second.

"Good."

.

"Fuuuuck! Fuckfuckfuckfuck!"

"Kiba, calm down!" Naruto snapped. "We left them behind us."

Kiba glanced at Naruto, his eyes wide in shock. "But… they were GIANT FUCKING TIGERS!"

"Kiba! Language, please." Hinata said sternly before her tone softened. "They were on the ground and we were able to outpace them through the trees. We're going to be fine."

Kiba's hyperventilation slowed and he nodded unwillingly. "Yeah, okay. Sorry, it's just… I'm an _Inuzuka_ and we don't like cats that much, especially ones that big."

"I wonder if we could tame them?" Hinata mused and Naruto shook his head.

"Unless we tied them down or had super-strength to wrestle them into submission, I don't think it would be a good idea to try."

Hinata sighed. The fur of the giant tigers had looked very soft and she wondered what it would have been like to snuggle against one or to ride one.

"Hey, is that the tower?" Kiba suddenly asked, causing Hinata to abandon her musings and quickly activate her _Byakugan_.

"It is, and we're clear." She said with a smile. "I don't see anyone in a position to intercept us."

"Damn, we're good." Kiba grinned and Akamaru _yip_ ped in agreement.

"Well, let's get moving." Hinata laughed and Kiba stared at her.

"But… we already are…"

"Never mind." Hinata sighed. "There's the tower and lots of doors."

The team landed on the cleared area around the tower and Naruto sent two clones forwards to open the doors in front of them. When no traps or ambushes materialised, he gave Hinata a questioning glance.

"It looks clear inside, let's move."

Quickly darting through the door, they closed it behind them and looked round at the room they were in.

"Hey, there's something written there." Kiba said, pointing to a sign hung on the wall opposite the door. Hinata looked at it curiously.

" _If qualities of heaven are your desire, acquire wisdom to take your mind higher.  
_ " _If earthly qualities are what you lack, train your body and prepare to attack.  
_ " _When heaven and earth are opened together, the perilous path will become righteous forever.  
_ " _This something is the secret way, that guides us from this place today._ "

For a long moment, they all stared at the painted sign, then Kiba broke the silence.

"Lame." He deadpanned. "Whoever wrote that _wasn't_ a poet."

"It's a riddle." Naruto realized. "Heaven must mean the mind while earth means body… if you can't think your way through things you need to study while if you aren't strong or fast enough, you need to train. Only by honing both you mind and your body can you succeed."

"When heaven and earth…" Hinata mused, then she nodded. "We need the Heaven scroll and one of the Earth Scrolls. We open them together…"

"My _clones_ open them together. _We_ wait by the door." Naruto corrected. Kiba nodded and the clones took the scrolls to under the sign while Team 7 retreated. The clones opened the scrolls, then they quickly put them on the ground across each other before dispelling.

"What…?" Kiba asked as Naruto gasped.

"The scrolls form a summoning array!"

A cloud of smoke billowed up from the crossed scrolls, dissipating to reveal the form of Sarutobi Asuma.

"Asuma-sensei!" Naruto laughed as the bearded man smiled at them.

"Well, it's good to see… ummm, why are there _three_ of you, Ruto, and what happened to your team-mates?"

Hinata and Kiba pulled off their masks and Asuma's eyebrows rose. "Nice tactic. So, back to business. You set a new record, well done. I assume you read and understood the sign behind me?"

All three genin nodded and Asuma pulled out a cigarette. "Excellent. Let's get a bunk-room for you, then I think Anko wants to congratulate you."

"Any chance of some food?" Kiba asked and Asuma chuckled.

"Sure, this place has a commissary. Free food for all genin, although it may be wiped out if Choji gets here. Akamichi's and free food…"

Asuma broke off with a shrug as Hinata giggled.

"So, come on."

.

Anko finished off the stick of Dango and hurled the wooden skewer sideways. Glancing across, she looked at the perfect Konoha leaf she'd made from the skewers and smirked.

"Nice one."

Anko blinked, then turned round. "Hey, Asuma! You still treating 'nai-chan good? If I hear that you've upset her…"

Asuma swallowed as Anko licked the edge of the kunai that had somehow materialized in her hand. "I… you wanted to talk to these three?"

A bark sounded and Asuma sighed. "Alright. Four."

"Oh, the gakis with the scrolls!" Anko laughed. "Sure, send them in."

The genin filed in and Anko fixed them with the strongest stare she could, before giving up in the face of the trio of masked figures.

"All-right. Listen up, you've set a new record mainly because _I_ screwed up in setting the terms of the previous test. However, you still have another four and a half days to go. Until then, you stay put in the tower and I want you in the basement arena at noon on the final day. Feel free to explore in the meantime."

"Thank you, Anko-san." Hinata said and Anko grinned.

"Will you be staying like that?"

"We brought our normal clothes." Kiba said as he removed his mask. "We dressed like this to stop anyone from trying to target Ruto while we were out there."

"Good decision." Anko agreed. "Now, scoot!"

.

Naruto paused at the door and Kiba bumped into him.

"Owwww. What did you stop… whoah, babe alert!"

The blond girl at the table glared at him. Ignoring her glower, Kiba sat down opposite her.

"Hey, name's Inuzuka Kiba, and you are?"

After a long moment, the glaring girl finally realized that he wasn't going to take the hint and leave. "Temari no Sabaku. Suna."

"Nice to meet you." Kiba smiled, earning another glare.

"Wow, he's hitting on sis? Better hope Gaara doesn't find out." A new voice said and Naruto turned to find himself face-to-face with a slightly familiar cat-suited genin. "Holy shit! It's you! The ANBU!"

"I am not an ANBU." Naruto said and the boy relaxed slightly. "My name is Yurei Ruto."

"Holy shit!" The boy yelped. "It's you! You're the Yondaime's son! The one those rumors are about!"

Naruto paused for a moment, then he slowly nodded.

"Temari!"

"What it is, Kankuro?" The girl growled.

"It's the Yondaime's son! The one who holds the Kyuubi!"

"What?" Temari yelped as she rose from her chair. "He's a Jinchuuriki like Gaara? Get away from him, he's dangerous!"

"You act like he's going to attack for no reason at all." Kiba pointed out and Temari nodded frantically as she backed away.

"It's what Jinchuuriki do!"

"Hey now girl, that's not real nice/ in fact it will not break the ice.  
"How could you say that to Mr Nine/ it's something bad, it isn't fine.  
"How could you be so full of hate/ I have to ask as Mr Eight."

"Hey, Killa Bee-san." Naruto said in greeting to the large man sat in the corner of the room. "You waiting for your team to arrive?"

"Ya got it right, don'cha know/ I'm waiting for my team to show.  
"I chose to write down what I feel/ while sittin' here having a meal."

"Wow, he's good." Kankuro said, earning a sparkling grin in return.

"What?" Temari squeaked, her gaze flicking between Naruto and Bee. "We're trapped between _two_ Jinchuuriki and you focus on his _rap_?!"

Bee opened his mouth, then he frowned as a new boy entered the room.

"G… Gaara…"

The redheaded boy looked dully at them, then started to walk over to the food counter before stopping and staring at Bee.

"Mother says that you are like me."

For a long moment, no-one moved as they considered the statement, then Bee broke the silence.

"Ichibi's ya mom, well that's real whack/ ya gotta get ya sanity back.  
"Mr One, meet Eight and Nine/ I hope that we may get on fine."

Gaara gave him a longer, dead-eyed look, then resumed his journey to the food counter.

"That's your brother?" Kiba whispered and Temari nodded.

"That's Gaara, my youngest brother. Be _careful_ around him, he enjoys killing."

Gaara glanced over before walking away with a bowl of food. As he left the room, both Temari and Kankuro slumped in relief. Naruto made and dispelled a clone, earning a confused look from Bee.

"I was warning Hinata." He explained and it was Kiba's turn to frown.

"Why not use your pulses?"

"Takes too long." Naruto shrugged. "If it isn't a pre-determined combat command, it needs to be spelled out and that takes a while. Quicker to clone-message and I have chakra to spare."

"While we're waiting for the next four days/ I can show you several ways.  
"To meet your demon, talk face to face/ it lets you have a combat ace.  
"I will not lie, it takes some time/ but a demon ally is mighty fine."

Naruto cocked his head quizzically. "I'll consider it, but… why?"

Bee grinned. "You're a container, just like me/ they think that weapons we're meant to be.  
"But our burden makes us brothers so/ I'll give my help, show you how to go!"

"…thank you." Naruto finally managed. "I trust you don't mind if I check with my sensei first?"

Bee shrugged and started to write in a small notepad.


	21. The Central Tower

Hiruzen sat in the lookout post at the top of the tower, his gaze fixed on the empty space that was the face of the orphaned son of his replacement.

"So, to summarize." He said. "Killer Bee is the Jinchuuriki of the Eight-tentacled Ox while the Kumo Ambassador is the holder of the two-tailed cat. The youngest Suna Genin holds the One-tailed Tanuki, meaning that we have no less than _four_ Jinchuuriki in Konoha, two of them in the exams themselves. And Killer Bee wants to train you in using the Kyuubi, even though he's from Kumo and you're a _Konoha_ Genin."

"I think he's more concerned that we're both Jinchuuriki, Hokage-sama." Naruto replied. "I think that he's worried about Gaara as well. Gaara refers to the Ichibi as _mother_. That does not sound good to me."

Hiruzen sighed and closed his eyes in thought. After a while, he nodded.

"Alright. However, I want one of my own people there, and I know just who. He'll introduce himself to you tomorrow morning."

"Understood, Hokage-sama." Naruto replied, bowing slightly at the implied dismissal before vanishing, revealing that he had been a _Toton Bunshin_.

"That never ceases to amaze me." Anko said from the corner where she was sharpening a kunai. "It also makes me rather paranoid, how do we know he doesn't have another clone here, watching us?"

Hiruzen opened his mouth, then paused before answering. "I have absolutely no idea, aside from the fact that he told me that he doesn't like to spy on people."

"Thank the Kami that he's not much of a prankster." Anko shuddered, then her eyes widened as she saw Hiruzen's expression. "He _is_ a prankster?"

"To a degree, yes. Hiashi told me that he is _very_ good at making traps."

"So _that_ 's why the Hyuuga have become so much better at spotting them!" Anko realised. "Wow, I thought the new Hyuuga ANBU were getting better at finding, disarming and evading traps, now I know why."

Hiruzen nodded, then he turned to look at her. "Anko, I need you to visit the hot springs."

Anko sighed.

.

The sound of perverted giggling didn't carry very far, but it carried just far enough for Anko to locate the giggler. Moving silently, she dropped down behind the white-haired man and threw a senbon needle at his behind. The man caught it without bothering to look round.

"That wasn't very nice."

"I happen to know that 'nai-chan is about to enter, so either you come with me to see the Hokage or I'll alert her to your presence and she'll do _that_ genjutsu on you again." Anko growled.

The pervert went almost as pale as his hair, causing the red lines descending from his eyes to stand out. "The one with Kakashi and Gai… Oh Kami above…"

Anko smirked as the man quickly put away his notebook and turned away from the small hole in the fence. "So, where are we we going?"

"To see your teacher." Anko grinned.

.

"Jiraiya."

"Sensei." The white-haired man responded. "I hear from _Little Miss Threatens_ here that my skills are needed."

"Yes, they are." Hiruzen said, leaning back in his chair and looking at the only one of his students within Konoha. "How long have you known Naruto was still alive?"

"The Toads told me soon after he vanished." Jiraiya replied without even the slightest hint of guilt. "The Great Toad Sage said that he was with those of the blank eyes."

"The Hyuuga clan." Hiruzen nodded.

"I assume that this has to do with him, then?" Jiraiya asked and Hiruzen nodded. "Let me guess, you want me to help him learn how to use _it's_ power."

"In a way." Hiruzen said, earning an odd look. "I actually have a volunteer for that, but I want you to oversee the sessions."

"A volunteer?" Jiraiya snorted. "Who knows more about Jinchuuriki than _me_?"

"Killer Bee."

For a long moment, it didn't penetrate, then Jiraiya leaned forwards and planted his fists on the desk.

"What?! He's a _Kumo_ shinobi!"

"Which is why I want _you_ there." Hiruzen shot back. "With your skills, you are one of the very few who can go head-to-head with a Jinchuuriki if needed, and we have _three_ in the tower with another one acting as Kumo's ambassador!"

"Killer Bee? An ambassador?" Jiraiya sked, his face working as he tried not to laugh.

"No, Nii Yugito." Hiruzen replied and Jiraiya paled.

"Oh crap! She's almost as scary as Tsunade when she's pissed!"

"Caught you peeping, did she?" Hiruzen chortled without any sympathy at all. "Serves you right."

Jiraiya shuddered in memory, then re-focused. "All right. I'll do it. When and where?"

"Tomorrow morning at the Tower, Forest of Death."

"I'll be there."

.

Naruto hurled a kunai at the intruder even before he woke up. His actions roused Hinata, who sleepily activated her _Byakugan_ before leaping out of bed, landing in a _Juho_ stance as Naruto prepared to deploy his clones.

"Not bad, kid." The intruder blocking the door laughed, twirling the Kunai that Naruto had thrown. "Almost as good as your old man when he was your age."

Naruto tilted his head in query, then realized that since he wasn't wearing his Happurai, the gesture was completely wasted on the new arrival. Grumbling under his breath, he stalked across to his folded clothes and quickly donned his Happurai and half-gloves.

"Okay, even I'm slightly creeped by that." The intruder admitted. "At least put a top on so I can see where your arms are."

"Who are you?" Naruto countered and the man started doing a weird Kabuki-style dance.

"I am the man whom all men admire, the one who knows women's hearts and desires! I am the greatest writer and the Hermit who searches for world peace! I am the Toad Sage , Jiraiya of the Sannin!"

"Oh!" Hinata said in realization. "The pervert!"

Jiraiya turned in mid-air to give her a shocked look, realized _just_ too late that he was about to screw up his landing pose and ended up in a heap on the ground.

"The pervert?" Naruto asked curiously, but Jiraiya interrupted Hinata's answer.

"I'm not a pervert. I'm a _Super Pervert_!"

"And that's better… how?"

Jiraiya pulled himself back to his feet and waved for Naruto to wait. "Young lady, why did you refer to me as a pervert, anyway?"

"My father reads your books." Hinata shrugged. "So does my mother, come to think about it… and I recently saw her dressed as a character from… _oh my_."

"Hinata-hime?"

"Oh my." Hinata whispered. "No, they couldn't… they're _old_ , they couldn't have… no…"

"Hinata?"

"They've been having sex…" Hinata whimpered, her eyes wide but unfocused." My parents have been having sex…"

Naruto pulled Hinata into a reassuring hug as Jiraiya sniggered.

"Once you get her back to reality, meet me in the mess hall."

"They're _old_ …" Hinata repeated, her eyes wide as Jiraiya left. "They couldn't have…"

"Hey, who was the old guy?" Kiba asked as he looked in at them. "What's up with Hinata?"

.

"Glad you could make it." Jiraiya said as the trio of genin entered the mess hall. "Grab some food and join us."

After Team 7 had grabbed some food and sat down at the table, Jiraiya flashed through a complex series of hand movements before slamming them onto the table, causing a large array of symbols to briefly appear.

"What was _that_?" Kiba asked as Hinata activated her _Byakugan_ and gasped.

"There's a… a _shield_ around us…"

"Yep, it gives us some privacy." Jiraiya smirked. "Team 7, meet Killer Bee, the Jinchuuriki of the Eight-tentacled ox and the adopted brother of the Raikage of Kumo. Bee, these are Kiba and his ninken Akamaru, Hyuuga Hinata and you've already met Yurei Ruto."

Bee nodded, then looked at Hinata. "My brother wanted either Two-chan or me to give you this message. It was _his_ father who gave the order to try and grab you, not him. Bro extends his apologies and asks for forgiveness."

Jiraiya stared at him. "You… didn't rap that!"

Bee shrugged. "There's a time for rap and a time for talk/ A time to run and a time to walk.  
"A time for peace, a time to fight/ and a time to try and set things right!  
"Word!"

Jiraiya face-palmed as Kiba sniggered.

"I… cannot give you an answer yet." Hinata finally managed and Bee nodded.

"Understood. If I'd been hatin' Kumo for half my life, I'd be havin' troubles overcoming it too."

"You may act dumb," Jiraiya said admiringly, "But you can see things others can't. I'll have to get you into my next book.

"Dat Icha-Icha trash?" Bee yelped. "Ain't no _way_ you gonna do dat! Ah ain't no smut star!"

"It's not smut, it's _art_!"

"Smut!"

"Art!"

"Smut!"

"Art!"

"SMUT!"

"ART!"

" **SMUT!** "

" **ART!** "

The three genin stared at the two adults who had jammed their Hitai-ate's together and were glaring at each other at point-blank range.

"Okay." Kiba finally said. "That proves it. They're lame. Both of them."

"Oi!" Both adults yelled in unison and Hinata lost her fight against laughter.

.

Naruto sat cross-legged on the tatami as Jiraiya settled down at a nearby desk, pulling out several notebooks as he did so. Bee, glanced over at the Sannin before folding himself down to sit facing Naruto.

"Before we begin, have you ever spoken with the Kyuubi or used its chakra?"

Naruto shook his head and Bee relaxed slightly.

"Okay. We'll be heading into our minds for this, just fist-bump and we'll be talkin' to our demons."

Naruto extended his arm and placed his knuckles against Bee's. An instant later, he felt something pull on him in a direction that he couldn't describe, then he found himself in the middle of a grassy plain ringed by towering cliffs several miles away.

"What the…?"

"Welcome to our shared mindscape/ Don't worry, the Biju can't escape.  
"Meet my friend Gyuki/ the eight-tailed Ox as you can see!  
"Ho!"

Naruto turned towards Bee's rap and almost fell over at the sight of the looming Biju, then his eyes widened at the sight of Killer Bee sitting atop its head.

" **What are you doing here, Gyuki!"** A voice snarled from behind Naruto and he turned to see the looming form of the Kyuubi no Kitsune inside a gigantic cage, the door of which was held closed by a piece of paper.

" **It's nice to see you as well, Kurama."** Gyuki rumbled back, earning a deep snarl. **"You look a little different…"**

Bee dropped down from Gyuki's head and walked over to stand beside Naruto before the cage. Looking up, he stared for a long moment, then whistled.

"You're down to half, you're looking thin/ I wonder what happened to your Yin.  
"No wonder you're grouchy, no wonder you're mad/ only having Yang is pretty bad.  
"The Yondaime's seal, tho' a work of art/ must have hurt as it tore ya apart."

" **SHUT! UP!"** Kurama roared, then he turned his gaze to Naruto. **"So, my jailer appears at last."**

"If it's any consolation, I didn't ask for that position." Naruto replied with a shrug and the Kyuubi snorted with disdain, then Naruto frowned. "Wait… you're only _half_ of what you were when you attacked Konoha?"

"This is amazing! Lookie here/ It's a man who all shinobi fear!  
"Held in stasis inside the seal/ I find it hard to know that this is real!  
"I know who it is or Bee ain't my name/ You got yourself the Hokage Yondaime!  
"And look beside him, don'cha know/ you also got the Habenaro!"

Naruto blinked at the apparent non-sequitor, then looked over to where Bee was standing before a pair of large crystals. Walking over, he gasped as he saw the figures inside them.

"Mum? Dad?"

"This is something totally whack/ you may be able to get them back.  
"But their chakra, their inner power/ will prob'ly last for just an hour.  
"If you wanna keep them by ya side/ a new chakra source you must provide.  
"Infuse it in them, medic style/ and they'll be around for quite a while.  
"Word."

Naruto nodded as Bee finished his rap, then his eyes flooded with tears and the midscape seemed to ripple around them, then it shattered as reality reasserted itself.

"What happened?" Jiraiya asked as Naruto collapsed in tears.

.

Jiraiya looked down at the pile of notes he had scribbled, then he sighed.

"It will take me a long time to do this. Oh, just creating a seal for chakra infusion is _easy_ , it's something so basic that med-nins can do it without resorting to _fuinjutsu_. Linking it to the _Shiki Fuin_ in such a way that it uses the Kyuubi's Youkai, converting it into something that can sustain Minato and Kushina's _Kage Bunshin_ s without risking destabilizing them? I'm going to have to do a _lot_ of research and experimenting, especially since I'll only get one shot at actually doing it."

Bee nodded slowly, taking a sip from the Sake bottle he had ordered.

"You realize that if I can do this, it'll change the balance of power _again_?" Jiraiya queried and Bee shrugged.

"Konoha is at the top/ I don't see how it's gonna stop.  
"But if Mr nine's dad comes back/ perhaps he'll cut Kumo some slack."

Jiraiya nodded slowly. "Yeah, if we can help him, then you being the cause of bringing the Yondaime back will bring Kumo's reputation _way_ up. Maybe even to the point where Konoha'll enter into a treaty like we have with Suna."

Bee cocked his head, then took another swig as Jiraiya sighed again.

"This is going to take _ages_. But if it lets me apologize to Minato, it'll be worth it."

"Bee-sensei!"

Bee turned in his seat and smiled at the trio of teenagers approaching him.

"Hey there team, ya made it through/ Gotta say ah had faith in you.  
"Meet Jiraiya, the toad style sage/ just don't make fun of his ancient age."

Jiraiya paused in gathering up his notes to glare at the rapper and the male member of Bee's team managed to stifle a snicker.

"I'm Samui." The blond Kunoichi said as she came to a stop by the table. "These are my team-mates Karui and Omoi."

"A pleasure." Jiraiya said as he rose. "I need to do some research in my library so I'll leave you and your sensei. Excuse me."

Jiraiya vanished and Samui raised an eyebrow. "That was… odd. I expected something… perverted from him."

"If he'd said something perverted, you'd have tried to hit him." Omoi fretted. "And he'd have hurt you and it would have destroyed any hope of peace between Kumo and Konoha and we'd have gone to war and… ow!"

"Calm down, idiot." Kurai groused as she lowered her hand. "It didn't happen, so shut up."

"So, how'd you do it, how'd you win/ to reach the Tower and then get in?"

"Wasn't easy." Samui sighed as she sat down. "Freaking shadow user was almost impossible to beat, but his female team-mate got overconfident and we were able to ransom her for a scroll, then we chucked her out of the woods to get them disqualified and came straight here."

Bee nodded approvingly.

.

"Ow. Ow. Ow." Ino whined as she limped along, supporting herself by hanging onto Choji's arm. "Damn them."

"Not their fault you forgot how to land." Shikamaru grumbled.

"I twisted my ankle!" Ino whined. "I mean, it's _really_ painful and… what's that over there?"

Shikamaru glanced across at where Ino was staring, then he moved in closer.

"Troublesome." He groaned. "We need an ANBU here."

"What is it?"

"Three bodies." Shikamaru said as he straightened up. "And they're missing their faces."

Ino turned pale and Choji swallowed before putting away the crisps he was eating.

.

"Lord Jiraiya!"

Jiraiya cursed under his breath as the ANBU seemed to materialize at the window. "What?!"

"Lord Jiraiya, your aid is requested! Team 8 made it to the Tower, but they were attacked by Orochimaru!"

Jiraiya felt his insides seem to congeal. What was his former team-mate up to?

"He placed a Cursed Seal on Sasuke Uchiha! Aburame Shino immediately placed him into a Prisoner Stasis Scroll and got him to the tower, but…"

"I'm on my way." Jiraiya said, rising from his desk, his mind already running through the possible seals to use, ones which would hopefully work better than the one he had been forced to improvise around the Cursed Seal that was on Anko's neck. "Is Kakashi there?"

"He's waiting at the secondary sparring arena." The ANBU replied. "He said that it would be the best place for any sealing that needs doing."

"Minato trained him well." Jiraiya murmured as he grabbed his Scroll. "All right, let's go!"

.

"Hey, Kiba." Naruto said as he sat down. "Sorry if you've been feeling left out…"

"No biggie." Kiba shrugged. "Been talking to Shino. You heard about Sasuke?"

Naruto paused in thought, then he nodded slowly. "Yeah… Ero-sannin mentioned something about needing to use a new type of seal on him. A modification of the Evil Sealing Technique using elements derived from the _Shiki Fuin_ , if memory serves."

"Whoah." Kiba breathed. "I didn't know _that_."

"Well, Ero-sannin's overseeing some lessons that Bee-sensei is giving me regarding a burden we both share."

Kiba cocked his head, then he sent a deliberate glance at Naruto's midsection.

"Yep."

"Tomorrow's the big day." Kiba smirked. "Tomorrow, the test ends. How many teams are here?"

"Ours, Team 8, Bee-sensei's team, and a team led by Yakushi Kabuto arrived this morning. He's a skilled medic, but the rest of his skills seem to suck. He volunteered to help Sasuke recover."

Kiba nodded, then his gaze snapped across. "Sensei!"

Naruto followed his gaze and nodded to Itachi as he walked over to them.

"Good morning Kiba, Ruto."

"How's Sasuke doing?" Kiba asked and Itachi smiled slightly.

"He is recovering, although he has agreed that he will not be participating any further in this exam as we do not know if the effects of the seal that Orochimaru applied have been fully contained."

"Sensible of him." Kiba murmured and Itachi nodded.

"The Hokage thinks so as well. Should my younger brother continue to perform well in the field, showing as much good judgement as he did today, he will probably gain a field promotion."

"Nice." Kiba said approvingly, then he frowned. "Hey, why didn't we get one for going up against Zabuza?"

"Because you only encountered Zabuza-sama once." A voice said and all three ninja turned to see Haku entering the hall. Kiba inhaled deeply, then groaned.

"Dammit! Still can't tell!"

"Tell what?" Haku asked curiously.

"Hey, Haku, you found the food yet?" another voice asked and Suigetsu stepped into the mess hall. "Yeah! Now we're talking!"

"Never mind." Kiba sighed as the new trio moved towards the food, then he leaned forwards. "Ruto, what was that short chain I could have sworn I saw you holding earlier this morning?"

.

From the top of the Hokage Monument, the view of Konoha was quite spectacular, although only one of the two cloaked figures was paying any attention.

"Such a shame I'll never become the Hokage." Said the pale-skinned man, then he shrugged. "Oh well. Otokage is a good prize to have instead."

"Exactly why did you place that seal on the Uchiha?" The other figure asked and the first turned to face him.

"Thanks to the resurgence of that damned Uchiha loyalty to Konoha, the only Uchiha _not_ affiliated with this village is Uchiha Naka, our newest recruit, and he has the damned _Mangekyo_. _I_ want a Sharingan, but for that to happen, I almost _need_ a rogue Uchiha. The seal I placed will soon drive Sasuke into seeking more power to surpass his brother and that will lead him to me."

"And if he does not succumb?"

"Then when the time comes to flatten Konoha, I shall… _acquire_ some samples to experiment with." Orochimaru shrugged. "Either way, I will get what I desire."

"You truly are out only for yourself."

"You knew that when you approached me." Orochimaru countered. "Besides, Akatsuki has done well with my aid."

The other figure nodded with reluctant agreement and both turned to look over Konoha once more.


	22. Preliminaries

Naruto glanced round the arena as he took his place in the ranks of the assembled Genin who had passed the test. On the balcony that stretched along three sides of the hall, Sasuke and Kabuto watched them, Sasuke sat on a chair and Kabuto stood beside him with his left arm in a sling from when he'd managed to break it falling down a flight of stairs, thus causing him to drop out of the exam. He'd asked for (and had been granted) permission to watch, both to act as moral support for his team-mates and simultaneously provide a med-nin assistant for Sasuke (freeing up a more experienced med-nin for when they were needed to heal a genin).

The genin themselves were predominantly Konoha nin, although several other teams had made it through with two scrolls. In addition to the Sand Siblings, the Mist team and Team Samui, Naruto's team had been joined by the two active members of Team 8 while Kabuto's two team-mates were nearby. Neji's team stood behind him, giving a total of nineteen genin who had managed to reach the end of the test.

The noise dropped as the Jonin-sensei's of the Genin teams stepped onto the raised stage at the front of the hall, along with the Hokage, who paused to look out over the assembled genin as Anko stepped forwards and switched on her microphone.

"Alright, now pay attention!" Anko said, her voice echoing through the hall. "Lord Hokage is about to explain the third exam to you, so you'd better pay attention, maggots! Lord Hokage, they're all yours."

Naruto noted how Anko had gone from commanding to respectful with that final sentence, then he paused his mental note taking as the Hokage stepped forwards.

"Ahem. First, before I tell you what the third exam entails, I want to explain something about the test itself. Listen closely now, it's something all of you need to understand."

The already-quiet hall seemed to go absolutely silent as the Hokage spoke.

"I'm going to tell you the true purpose of these exams. Why do you suppose our country holds these exams in conjunction with our allies? To raise the ability levels of the shinobi and increase friendship between allied nations, to be sure. But it's important you understand it's true meaning. The exams are,so to speak… They're a representation of the battle between allied nations."

Everyone seemed to inhale in shock at that.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tenten asked before she could stop herself.

"Now, if we look at our history," the Hokage continued, "All the countries that we're currently allied with were once neighboring nations that continuously fought with each other for power. In order to avoid destroying each other's military strength meaninglessly, those countries picked champions to do battle on behalf of their countries at a mutually selected location. That was how the Chunin selection exams originally began. These exams give ninja a chance to test themselves against each other, carrying the pride of their nation on their backs.  
"Many leaders and people of prominence from various countries are invited to attend this exam as guests, and to possibly seek shinobi to work for them. This exam could determine the course of your ninja work from here on out. And more importantly, those rulers will watch your battles, and take note of the strengths that each ninja, and each nation is developing. The strong nations are inundated with job requests for their ninja while conversely, the requests for countries that are deemed weak, decline. Therefore, the stronger our nation is, the better it's position when it comes to negotiating with neighboring countries, so it is important to show how much military strength our village has. In other words, these exams are nothing less that a replacement for war, giving each nation a chance to show the strength of its shinobi, and thus the strength of its military."

There was a long pause as all the genin considered what he had said, then a trenchcoat-wearing man stepped forwards.

"As you know from the first stage, my name is Ibiki and I will be overseeing this part of the exam." He growled. "There are still too many of you to enter the final stage, so we are going to cut that number in half, but one of you will get a free pass. The screens behind me will show the results of the random selection. Those selected will go head-to-head to decide who gets to go through. Killing is allowed, but not if the match has been stopped. You get through by defeating your opponent or making them surrender. If I call a fight, you _will_ comply by my decision. First names."

To either side of the statue of the Ram seal, curtains pulled back to reveal screens on which names were flickering too fast to make out. After a few seconds, the screens seemed to blink as the first two names were revealed.

"Inuzuka Kiba of Konoha and Samui of Kumo, remain on the floor." Ibiki said. "Everyone else, please head up to the balconies."

Naruto paused long enough to clap Kiba on his shoulder to wish him luck, then he walked up the stairs to where Hinata was waiting near Sasuke, Sakura, Shino and Kabuto. A moment later, they were joined by Itachi and Kurenai.

"How are you feeling, little brother?"

"Tired, achy and sore." Sasuke admitted. "Sakura's been practicing her medical jutsu on me to help me heal. On the plus side, I'm up to three tomoe on my _Sharingan_ now."

Itachi gave his younger brother a proud smile, then they all turned their attention to the floor below where Kiba and Akamaru were squaring off against Samui, who had drawn her sword.

"Be careful, Kiba-kun." Hinata whispered as Ibiki took a step backwards.

"Fight!"

Kiba pulled out a pair of Kunai and lunged forwards. Samui side-stepped and slashed at him, only for her tanto to be blocked by Kiba's paired kunai. An instant later, Samui grimaced and looked down at her now-damp leg as Akamaru leapt away.

"Your dog… _pissed_ on me?"

Kiba pushed her tanto away and slashed at her, nicking her sleeve as she dodged. "Made a great distraction, didn't it?"

"Dynamic marking." Naruto whispered in realization. "He's pulling out the big guns."

"Akamaru, here!" Kiba shouted as he tossed his ninken a food pill, then he made a few hand-seals. " _Shikyaku no Jutsu_!"

Kiba's form seemed to twist slightly as he dropped onto his hands and feet, wisps of chakra rising from him. His nails seemed to extend slightly into claws and his whole aspect turned more feral before Akamaru jumped onto his back. " _Juujin Bunshin_!"

The duo were engulfed in smoke which cleared to show that Akamaru had transformed into a clone of Kiba. Samui blinked, then eased into a defensive stance.

" _Gatsuga_!" Kiba shouted as he and the transformed Akamaru lunged forwards even as they started to spin. Between their rotation and the chakra whisps around them, they turned into spinning drills of flying destruction. Samui's eyes widened and she frantically dodged the first attack, only for the two drills to curve round, converging on her new location from wide angles.

"How on earth are they following her?" Kabuto asked curiously. "With them spinning like that, there is very little chance that they are doing it visually…"

Samui's panicked back-flip managed to let her avoid the drill that gouged into the arena floor before its ricochet took it up into the air for another attack.

"Akamaru marked her." Hinata supplied and Sasuke snickered.

"So _that's_ why he did it."

Samui used the flat of her blade to deflect an incoming attack which she couldn't dodge in time. Although it worked, she was left with little more than a hilt in her hands while fragments of the blade clattered across the floor. Seeing another incoming attack, she pulled out a small paper tag and dropped it on the floor before leaping backwards. The tag ignited and the resulting explosion caused a shape to tumble through the air, impacting Samui headfirst.

There was a long, shocked silence as everyone stared at the tableaux, then Kiba rocketed backwards trailing a line of blood, crashing onto the ground out cold, but with a huge grin on his face. The other drill dissipated and Akamaru dropped to the ground, running over to check on his master.

"Winner by knockout, Samui." Ibiki declared in a flat voice over the rising tide of laughter and wolf-whistles. Samui simply stood in shock, looking down at her cleavage and the smear of blood on it.

"What a way to lose." Kurenai sighed, then she glanced at Itachi, who was looking slightly embarrassed. "You know, the story of this fight is going to be a hit amongst the Jonin."

Itachi nodded, glancing across to where the med-nin were taking Kiba away on a stretcher while Samui was staggering back to the stairs up to the balcony, trying to pull her mesh undershirt up to cover the normally-exposed portion of her cleavage. Hinata gasped.

"Ruto-kun!"

"Yurei Ruto of Konoha and Chojuro of Kiri."

Naruto glanced across to see the glasses-wearing youth with an oddly-shaped two-handled sword attached to his back talking quietly but intensely to Zabuza. After a moment, Zabuza made a cutting motion with his hands and Chojuro nodded.

"As advised by my Jonin-sensei, I wish to forfeit." He declared and Naruto paused half-way down the steps.

"That kid's scary." Zabuza added and almost every single Jonin in the room stared at Naruto with curiosity and respect.

"If Zabuza says that, it must be true/ A genin scarier than me or you." Bee rapped before getting dope-slapped by Samui. "Why you hate my rap?"

"Now isn't a cool time for that!" Samui hissed, then she looked round with an embarrassed smile. "Ummmm, carry on?"

"…very well. Winner by forfeit, Yurei Ruto." Ibiki said. "Next names please."

Everyone watched as the screens flickered through the lists of names before the settled.

"Would Gaara of Sunaga and Akado Yoroi of Konoha please make their way to the arena."

The masked genin strode down to the arena while Gaara used a _sand-sunshin_ to appear before Ibiki.

"Same rules as the first match." Ibiki said, then he stepped backwards. "Fight!"

Yoroi lunged forwards and then jerked to a halt as a wall of sand rose in front of him, then it crested and collapsed over where he would have been standing had he not leapt backwards.

"A ninjutsu type, huh?" He sneered. "Well, I think that _that_ gives me an advantage!"

Yoroi lunged forwards again, this time with his hands covered in a thin layer of chakra. Once again, the sand wall rose but this time he thrust his hands into it. Gaara simply watched impassively, then Yoroi started to scream, jerking backwards to reveal that his hands were covered in chakra burns.

"What… what _are_ you?"

"It does not matter." Gaara droned. "You will prove my existence."

Yoroi had just enough time to try and raise his burned hands in a block before the wave of sand crashed over him. Gaara stared, then held out his hand.

" _Sabaku Soso_." He stated, clenching his fist and the sand seemed to implode, causing a spray of blood to splatter the floor of the arena. A moment later, the sand withdrew, returning to the gourd on Gaara's back, revealing the mangled tatters that had once been a Konoha shinobi.

"Winner, Gaara." Ibiki noted as several of the genin turned and started to throw up. "Someone clean up this mess."

Hinata turned away from the gory pile, her face tight as she fought not to give in to the urge to vomit.

"Hinata," Naruto whispered, "Gaara's a Jinchuuriki as well. If you go up against him during the finals, withdraw. With his control over sand…"

Hinata nodded as she managed to regain her self-control. Turning back, she couldn't help but glance at the area that Yoroi's remains had occupied, an area now cleaned through a _Suiton_ jutsu after the crushed and mangled corpse had been sealed into a scroll. A quick look round showed that Gaara had rejoined his team, none of whom had looked surprised by his actions.

"Next match." Ibiki stated. "Hyuuga Neji against Hozuki Suigetsu."

Neji strode proudly down the stairs while his opponent, the white-haired teen with a single protruding fang, unhooked his weapons before following suit.

"The _Kabutowari_ or Helmet Splitter" Itachi said softly as he leaned forwards. "That is one of the Seven Swords of the Mist. Given that Zabuza uses the _Kubikiribocho_ , that might mean that… yes. On Chojuro's back is the _Hiramekarei_. Interesting. I wonder if the third of his team uses a… yes. That long thin handle is probably the _Nuibari_ , the Needle Sword, used to pierce enemies and secure them with ninja wire. An excellent weapon for one who is fast but prefers not to kill."

"And the weapon that Suigetsu-san is using?" Hinata asked curiously.

"The Helmet Splitter is a two-part sword. The axe-part is used to strike an enemy, then the maul increases the power by striking the back of the axe. Both parts can he used independently with the maul providing a brute-force strike, or being used to generate shock-waves in the ground."

Below, both combatants had squared off and Ibiki nodded.

"Begin."

Suigetsu stepped forwards, turning to swing the axe-portion of his weapon around in an attempt to disembowel Neji. Neji ducked and used an upwards strike to divert the attack, then he took another step.

"You are within range of my divination! Eight-trigrams sixty-four palms!"

As Neji's hands made contact, sprays of liquid spattered the ground, then Neji leaped backwards as Suigetsu seemed to dissolve and then re-form.

"That. Hurt." The white-haired teen growled before his arms seemed to flex and expand.

"How did you resist my attack?"

"Simple." Suigetsu grinned. "I'm a Hozuki. We can turn ourselves into water and use that to heal ourselves. You can't hope to defeat me."

"That would explain the apparent lack of defensive moves in his combat style." Itachi murmured. Below them, Neji frowned.

"Every advantage has a disadvantage. What is yours?"

"You think I'll tell you?" Suigetsu smirked as he moved in to attack again, his weapons swinging faster than before.

" _Kaiten_!"

Neji briefly vanished in a dome of chakra which sent Suigetsu slamming into a wall where he vanished in a large splash before re-forming and pulling the axe-blade out of the wall.

"Interesting trick." He smirked, then he swung the maul up high and onto the ground, causing the tiles around him to crack as the entire arena briefly shook. "I've got a few of my own."

"Indeed you have." Neji snarled, then he sighed. "I can see that using those techniques has quite a chakra cost for you, but between your weapon and abilities, I do not see any weaknesses I can exploit with my current skills. Should we meet again, I will have made preparations but for now, I concede."

Suigetsu blinked, then laughed triumphantly. "Yeah! Whooo! I win!"

"Winner, Suigetsu." Ibiki said almost needlessly, then Zabuza's voice echoed round the arena.

"Water-brat, stop fucking around and get back up here!"

Suigetsu went almost white, then he vanished in a _suiton-shunshin_ , appearing with his team. Neji turned and walked back to his team, where Lee placed a commiserating hand on his shoulder.

"Next up are Rock Lee of Konoha and Karui of Kumo." Ibiki said and Lee paused to exchange a few quiet words with Neji before vaulting over the balcony railing to land lightly in fornt of Ibiki. A moment later, they were joined by Karui whose amber eyes glared at Lee and the two Katanas he was wearing crossed on his back.

"Ah, I see you are another _Kenjutsu_ user." Lee grinned. "You carry an Odachi which means that your style is primarily based around horizontal slashes and downwards strikes."

"And you carry two Katana, indicating that you're a poser trying to bluff since you're too young to have learned more than the absolute basics of a two-sword style." Karui countered, causing Lee's grin to turn into a frown.

"That is a very unyouthful thing to say." He half-scolded and Karui snorted.

"Like I give a damn." She sneered as she slowly unsheathed her blade. Lee's hands snapped up and in a well-practiced move, his blades blurred out of their sheaths and he took a stance with his left hand extended, the Katana held horizontally with the edge forwards and his right hand drawn back with the Katana angled downwards. Ibiki stepped backwards a few paces before speaking.

"Begin."

Lee seemed to blur forwards, his blades moving so fast that he seemed to be holding a pair of metal fans.

Hinata's eyes widened in shock.

Karui yelped as she frantically blocked, her sword ringing with the impacts even as she backpedaled as fast as she could in an attempt to avoid the multiple attacks which seemed to be coming in from every angle. On the balcony, Samui and Omoi watched in speechless shock while their sensei simply cocked an eyebrow.

"Do you yield?" Lee asked as he effortlessly disengaged and stepped out of range. Karui glared at him, then she froze as the front of her dress seemed to evaporate over her midsection, the fabric strips falling gently to the ground and exposing her stomach.

"How the fuck…?" She began, then she growled. "You fucking _pervert_!"

With a scream of rage, she lunged forwards, her sword flashing and twisting through the air at incredible speed as she fought to penetrate Lee's defenses. Lee merely laughed joyfully as he deflected and dodged her attacks, then he was suddenly behind her, spinning away as the remains of the upper portion Karui's dress fluttered to the ground, leaving her stood in a skirt and bra. Karui yelped and dropped her sword as she tried to cover her chest.

"Fuck!"

"It is a lesson that one of my sensei's taught me." Lee explained with a smile. "If you do not wish to actually harm your enemy, victory can be achieved by deducing their weaknesses and exposing them."

Gai facepalmed as a sudden chorus of chuckles sounded from the balcony. Lee looked around in confusion.

"What?"

"How the hell is my cleavage my weakness?" Karui snarled.

"What cleavage?" A voice called and Karui turned red with rage.

"Whoever that was, you're _dead meat_!" She shouted, then she stopped as she found the point of Lee's Katana just under her chin.

"Please yield. I would hate to damage a flower as beautiful as yourself."

Karui glared at him, then her shoulders slumped.

"Fine. You win. Now someone get me a new top!"

"Winner, Rock Lee." Ibiki said in an amused voice, earning a glare from Karui. "Next names, please."

Karui gathered up her sword and its sheath before slouching off, still covering herself with her arm as Ibiki turned to look at the screens.

"The next competitors are Temari of Suna and Yuki Haku of Kiri." Ibiki stated. Temari quickly left her team and walked onto the arena where she paused, looking at her adversary.

"Are you a boy or a girl?"

"Does it really matter?" Haku responded. "I do not see how it makes a difference to this match."

Temari frowned as she examined the figure before her, then she growled and shook her head.

"Dammit, which are you?"

"Perhaps this should wait, we do have a fight to do first."

"Correct." Ibiki said. "Get ready."

Temari unslung the large metal club-like thing from her back and opened it, revealing it to be a combat fan. Haku, meanwhile, unsheathed the long, thin metal Needle Sword. A slight glitter descending from the pommel was the only indication of the Ninja Wire attached to it.

"Begin!"

Haku leapt sideways as Temari swung her fan, sending a blast of cutting wind through the space where the dark-haired ninja had been standing.

"You see the moon on my fan?" Temari asked as she readied her weapon for another attack. "Once you see all three moons, that will be the last thing you ever see."

"We shall see about that." Haku said, pulling out a small scroll and unrolling it in the same movement. As Temari cocked her head, Haku applied a small bit of chakra and a veritable fountain of water erupted from the scroll, covering the arena to ankle-depth.

"Is that it?" Temari smirked, then she froze as Haku made several hand-signs. Around the edge of the arena, a dozen Ice-mirrors rose and Haku stepped into one, merging with it. A second later, Haku's image appeared in all of the mirrors and Temari cursed as she spun round.

"This is a variation of one of my more lethal techniques." Haku's voice said and Temari fired a strong blast of wind at the nearest mirror, cracking it slightly before the cracks shrank and then vanished.

"This is your last chance. Please surrender."

"Hell, no!" Temari shouted as she blasted several more of the mirrors, then suddenly something _blurred_ past her over a dozen times and Temari froze, suspended half a foot above the ground.

"What… what did you do to me?" She ground out as she tried to move.

"I did not wish to harm you, so I used _Nuibari_ to pass ninja wire through your clothing, restraining you." Haku said, emerging from one of the mirrors. "Please surrender."

"I can still fight!" Temari shouted as a Kunai appeared in her hand, then a pair of senbon materialized in her neck and she slumped lifelessly in the web of ninja-wire holding her.

"Temari!" Kankuro yelled in shocked denial and Haku walked across to the defeated girl.

"I have placed her in a near-death state. You will need to remove the senbon and give her medical aid, but she should be fully healed in a week or so."

Ibiki nodded as the medical ninja started to cut the ninja wires holding Temari suspended.

"Winner, Yuki Haku."

Haku nodded, then moved to stand beside the leader of the Iryonin. The doctor bent down slightly to listen to the quiet ninja, then nodded in thanks as Temari was placed on the stretcher.

"Open the drains and clear the floor." Ibiki commanded, turning back from looking at the screen. "Aburame Shino of Konoha and Omoi of Kumo are next."

Haku vanished in a swirl of mist, reappearing next to Zabuza, who nodded approvingly. Ibiki glanced up at them, then looked at the Bug-user and the Kumo-nin as they approached across the damp tiles, Omoi looking nervous while Shino barely looked human with [his mask](https://www.deviantart.com/honorablebaldy/art/Shino-s-Mask-443205603) modified to resemble an stylized insect's head, complete with mandibles.

"Are you ready?"

Shino twitched in what was probably a nod while Omoi removed the lollipop from his mouth.

"I'm ready…"

"Good. They you may begin."

Omoi promptly unsheathed his sword and lunged forwards, piercing Shino's right shoulder. An instant later, the Aburame dissolved into a cloud of bugs which engulfed the Kumo nin.

"Aaaargh! Bugs! Bugs! I _hate_ bugs! _Raiton Jibashi_!"

The cloud of bugs suddenly collapsed with only a few surviving long enough to fly away as Omoi stood amidst the dead Kikkai, his hands coated in lightning with arcs of it flickering around his body. There was a long pause, then Shino stepped out from behind the Ram-seal statue.

"I forfeit. I have lost over a quarter of my colony because of that one move and his technique is a natural counter to my abilities. There is no logical reason to continue a fight in which I will undoubtedly fail to achieve victory."

"Winner by forfeit, Omoi of Kumo." Ibiki said and Shino trudged to the nearest set of stairs. "The next competitors are Kankuro of Suna and Tsurugi Misumi of Konoha."

Kankuro shifted the wrapped bundle on his back to a slightly higher position as he moved to the stairs while the dark-clad Konoha ninja strutted onto the arena. Once both of them were in front of Ibiki, Kankuro unslung his burden and placed it on the floor, holding it upright with his right hand.

"You both should know the rules by now." Ibiki said. "Begin."

Misumi sprinted forwards and tackled Kankuro. As the Suna ninja tried not to succumb to the impact, Misumi's limbs seemed to extend, wrapping round Kankuro's neck and right arm like snakes while his legs did the same to Kankuro's legs.

"What… how are you doing that?" Kankuro demanded and Misumi smirked.

"I can dislocate all of my joints and use chakra to control my body." Misumi boasted as his winding limbs tightened. "You really should surrender now. If you don't, I'll break your neck!"

"Hell no." Kankuro grunted as he strained against the restraining limbs.

"Well, I gave you the chance." Misumi gloated and suddenly Kankuro's head jerked to an angle that no human should be able to achieve. For a moment, everyone was silent, then Kankuro's face seemed to crack and waver, revealing a three-eyed wooden faceplate underneath the fragmenting skin.

"What the…?"

"A puppet." Itachi said. "It would seem that this Kankuro is very tricky."

Two previously-concealed wooden arms sprang out of the puppet's sides and wrapped around Misumi's torso before tightening almost explosively. Misumi tried to scream, but all that came out was a spray of blood as he collapsed onto the floor.

"Misumi is unable to fight." Ibiki said as the bandages on the bundle fell away, revealing the real Kankuro smirking as he used finger-twitches to control his puppet. "Kankuro wins. Medics!"

Kankuro laughed triumphantly as he walked away from the broken body of his opponent, his four-armed puppet following him.

Ibiki looked up at the screen even as the medical ninja placed the limp ninja on a stretcher.

"The final match is Higarushi Tenten of Konoha versus Haruno Sakura of Konoha and therefore Hyuuga Hinata gets a free pass to the next round."

"I… don't have to fight?" Hinata wondered.

"Well, there are an odd number of people, so it is not surprising." Itachi said with a slight smile.

Below them, the two Konoha Kunoichi had reached the arena and were squaring off, although the pink-haired one kept glancing up at Sasuke.

"Final match." Ibiki said. "Begin."

Tenten instantly threw a trio of Kunai at Sakura, who dived sideways with her hands flickering through a set of hand-seals.

" _Infinite Darkness technique_!"

Tenten froze for a moment and Sakura dashed towards her, only to yelp and dive as Tenten unleashed a barrage of shuriken in her general direction.

"I can't see you, but I can still _hear_ you." Tenten growled. Sakura frowned as she placed a hand over the cut on her shoulder. When she removed it seconds later, the cut had vanished. Itachi whstled.

" _Iryojutsu_ and _Genjutsu_. She must have truly perfect chakra control for that."

"She certainly has great promise as an Iryonin." Kabuto agreed, glancing down at his sling. "I wonder if she has learned the bonesetting jutsus yet? The sooner I get healed, the sooner I can return to helping at the hospital."

On the arena, Sakura peeped out from behind the support pillar she was hiding behind to avoid the barrages of kunai and shuriken. As the horizontal metal rain slackened, Sakura ran through a few new hand-signs and Tenten blinked.

"Ha! It wore off!" She exulted, then she slowly turned, hands filled with shuriken. "Where _are_ you…?"

Sakura pulled out a kunai and tip-toed silently towards Tentan, who was still scanning the arena.

"What?"

"She was inspired by how you defeated us just prior to your C-rank mission." Sasuke said. "That's her first original _genjutsu_ , it lets the victim see everything _except_ for her."

Naruto gave a soft whistle as Sakura moved behind Tenten and raised her Kunai. As she did so, her foot caught one of the discarded shuriken, causing it to clatter against a kunai.

"Twin rising dragons!" Tanten shouted as she dropped her weapons and pulled out a pair of scrolls, slamming them upright onto the ground. The scrolls emitted a cloud of smoke before rocketing upwards, unrolling as they did so to form a double spiral with Tenten leaping up between them, her hands outstretched before she began to spin. Sakura reacted even as Tenten was rising by ducking into the space between the scrolls even as a veritable hail of kunai, shuriken and senbon sliced down, turning the stone floor into a sea of sharp metal. As Tenten stopped spinning, Sakura started to grab the discarded weapons and hurled them at the weapons mistress.

Although caught by surprise, Tenten managed to pull out a kunai with her left hand and deflect the attack even as her right hand flicked out. A pair of senbon sliced outwards, ricocheting off the edge of the balcony and embedding themselves in Sakura's neck, causing her to collapse.

Haku gasped as Tenten landed.

"Hey, that's what happened to my sister!" Kankuro shouted and Tenten nodded.

"I finally spotted her when the pulses of chakra I used to unseal my weapons disrupted her genjutsu. I hope I got it right…"

"You did." Haku said, leaning forwards for a better view. "In fact, you may have managed to do it better than I did. It should not take as long for her to heal."

Ibiki looked at the floor and sighed. "This will take a long time to clear up."

"I got it." Tenten said as she flexed her fingers. Sparkles of light showed the ninja wire as she used it to gather the weapons, sending them into a large heap in the corner of the room. Looking at the mound of metal, she sighed.

"It's going to take me _ages_ to re-seal all of that back into my scrolls."

"Winner by knockout, Higarushi Tenten." Ibiki announced. "Medic-nins, take Haruno to the infirmary. Would all winners please come down to the arena. Anko, the box, if you would?"

As the genin moved to form a line in front of Ibiki, Anko reappeared holding a wooden box with a circular hole cut into the top.

"Roll up, roll up. Get a token and discover your enemy." She announced. Samui was the first to reach in and she looked at her token.

"Six."

"One." Omoi said. "I'm in the first match, what if my clock fails and… ow!"

"Not. The. Time." Samui growled and Omoi nodded nervously.

"Great, number four." Kankuro groused. "Not like it's an omen or anything…"

"Seven." Gaara droned listlessly.

"I have number nine." Haku said. "Suigetsu-san?"

"Number eight." The white-haired teen grinned.

"I have number five!" Lee exclaimed. "Samui-san, We shall have a truly _youthful_ battle!"

"Uhhhh, right. That's… cool?" Samui said slowly, giving Lee a worried look.

"I have number three." Naruto supplied and Kankuro winced.

"Ouch, I'm up against the genin that _Zabuza_ finds scary? I _am_ dead."

"I… have number ten." Hinata whispered and Tenten reached into the box to grab the last token.

"Number two."

"Then the first round is as follows. Omoi versus Tenten, Ruto versus Kankuro, Lee versus Samui, Gaara versus Suigetsu and Haku against Hinata. Match six is the winner of match one who will fight the winner of match two while the winner of match three shall be against the winner of match four in match seven. The winner of five will then fight the winner of the sixth match and the winner of that will fight the winner of the seventh match. Any questions?"

The genin remained silent and Ibiki nodded.

"All matches will take place in a month's time to allow you to heal, practice and develop new skills to counter your opponents." Ibiki finished. "Now, if you will follow us, we will take you all back to Konoha."

.

Naruto stepped off the barge and half-turned to offer Hinata his hand. Hinata accepted it and once she was on dry land, she refused to relinquish it, instead tucking herself into his side.

"Hey," Kiba said, "Do you smell… It's them!"

Both Naruto and Hinata followed Kiba's shocked gaze and their eyes widened as they saw the armor-clad duo of Gozu and Meizu.

"Gozu, Meizu." Zabuza growled as he stalked past the Genin. "I hope you morons appreciate how much Mei-sama had to do to secure your release, although I don't think it was worth it. Being taken down by genin… hah!"

"It was a Hyuuga!" Gozu protested weakly. "She _Shunshin_ ed straight between us and attacked as soon as she appeared!"

Zabuza glared at them before reaching out and clapping them on their shoulders.

"Good to finally have you idiots back. Mei sent someone to escort you back to Kiri. Ao! Get your pansy butt over here!"

A tallish blue-haired man with an eyepatch strolled over and the Demon Brothers turned to look at him. He returned their gaze with a tranquil look which somehow seemed to hold the promise of decisive retribution should they anger him.

"Gozu, Meizu, you will go with Ao here back to Kiri. Take this scroll with you, it's a preliminary report. Get gone."

"Thank you, Zabuza-sama." Gozu managed as he dragged Meizu off and Zabuza snorted.

"Idiots. Ah well. Chojuru, you'll be working on your strength."

Chojuru blinked. "Zabuza-sensei… I'm not in the finals…"

"No reason to stop training." Zabuza snapped at him. "Suigetsu, we'll be sparring. I was talking to that Kumo swordsman and you're fighting a Jinchuuriki. You need to get your skills up, especially your speed. Haku… dammit. Not certain how to take down a Hyuuga. Do what you think best."

"Yes, Zabuza-sama."

"We start tomorrow." Zabuza growled. "For now, there's a bottle of Sake with my name on it."

"Seeing those two leave reminds me." Itachi said from behind them, causing all three members of Team 7 to jolt in shock at his silent approach. "I really should check to see what happened to the ladies I retrieved from Wave."

"Sensei!" Kiba growled. "Stop _doing_ that to us!"

Itachi shrugged. "I was talking to Maito Gai. Ruto, Jiraiya has agreed to help you learn the other Jutsu of your father, so you are excused from the team for training with him. Asuma has mentioned that he will be happy to help you with your _Futon_ abilities as well. Hinata, your father has offered to help you with your _Juho_ and the special moves you have developed, although Anko-san has said that she promised to teach you the basics of _Hebi_ -style _taijutsu_."

"So what are you doing, sensei?" Hinata asked curiously.

"Gai wants to train Lee more in _taijutsu_ , so I'll be running a temporary partial team of Kiba and Neji. Team 8 will also be running short for a few weeks while Sakura recovers and with my brother still recovering from Orochimaru's attack, that leaves only Shino fully capable. As such, I will be borrowing him for a C-rank mission I picked up."

"Another mission! Yeah, maybe it'll get me a field promotion!" Kiba cheered.

"It's an escort mission." Itachi said and Kiba shrugged.

"So was the one to Wave."

"Itachi-san, is this him?" A new, female voice said and Itachi turned, bowing slightly to the new arrival.

"Naori-san."

Naori nodded back, then turned her attention to the trio of Genin. Naruto reached up and removed his mask as Naori activated her _Sharingan_ , then the three tomoes seemed to form three arms reaching from the pupils, expanding near the edge to outline a red three-petal flower shape.

"Shisui was right." She said in a wondering tone of voice. "He is _amazing_ to look at."

Naori's eyes reverted back to their ebony hue and Naruto donned his mask again.

"Itachi, word got back to us about Naka. He's joined a group of S-ranked criminals… a group which includes Orochimaru."

"The Snake-Sannin." Itachi said quietly. "This could be somewhat problematic. With his grasp of _Izanagi_ , Naka is a formidable adversary in his own right. Allied with the traitor, his prowess would become far greater."

"That's what Jiraiya-sama said." Naori agreed, then she scowled. "Then he made a comment about putting me into his next book…"

"Killer Bee told him that Icha Icha was smut." Itachi said with a slight smile. "I do not believe I have ever seen Jiraiya so annoyed outside a combat situation before. It was… diverting."

"Serves the old pervert right." Naori agreed.

"I'm not a _pervert_!" Jiraiya exclaimed as he seemed to materialize behind Naori, making her jump in shock. "I'm a _SUPER PERVERT_!"

For a long moment, both Uchiha stared at the white-haired old man, then Itachi nodded.

"I believe that I will go with my brother-in-law-to-be on this. Lame."

Jiraiya pouted as a new voice spoke.

"I like your style, that's really cool/ Ya really told this white-haired fool.  
"But now on timing we must talk/ so Mr nine, let's take a walk.  
"The smut artist can come as well/ But if he puts me in a book, I'll give him hell.  
"Word!"

Jiraiya growled at how he had been described.

"It's _not_ smut, it's art!"

"You think it's art, I know that but/ The rest of us know it's just smut."

"What?! It's _art_ , dammit!"

"Smut!"

"Art!"

"Smut!"

"ART!"

"SMUT!"

.

"So." Hinata said as she emerged from the bathroom. "How did the talk go?"

"It went alright." Naruto shrugged. "For the next few weeks, I'll be being helped by Bee-sama in talking to Kurama…"

"Kurama?" Hinata asked and Naruto patted his stomach.

"Apparently it's the Kyuubi's real name. If I can get on good terms with it, I may be able to use its youkai. Bee-sama showed some of what he can do, he was able to materialize the eight tentacles of the Hachibi. Jiraiya wants me to sign the Toad contract like my father did and has asked the Hokage's guard to help me learn the _Hiraishin_ at some point after the exams."

Hinata whistled appreciatively as she sat on the edge of the bed and then rolled over to snuggle against Naruto's side.

"What about you?"

"Father has agreed to spar against me and I am going to try to increase my speed as much as possible." Hinata yawned. "That Haku was scary to watch."

Naruto frowned. "You know, we still haven't found out if Haku is a boy or a girl."

Hinata shrugged and snuggled tighter against Naruto.

"'dnight."

"Goodnight, Hinata-Hime." Naruto whispered. "Sweet dreams."


	23. Intermission

"Hey, gaki." Jiraiya said as he gracelessly flopped down onto the tatami. "So, you're up against the puppet user first."

"I already have a plan for defeating him, Jiraiya-san." Naruto said, the grin evident in his voice. "The second fight… if I go up against Tenten, my _Toton Kekkei Genkai_ should give me an advantage, especially with a couple of the moves that I am practicing. It's the Kumo ninja who worries me, I need more practice with Asuma-sensei to get my _futon_ skills up to a higher level, otherwise I'll be vulnerable to his _Raiton_ techniques."

"You really have thought it through." Jiraiya noted. "Now, you remember that seal that I had you run chakra through a few days back?"

Naruto nodded slowly.

"It was a special chakra analysis seal." Jiraiya said with a grin. "I managed to work out how to turn your chakra slightly visible for a while. Only a few minutes, but it'll be long enough. I need to examine the _Hakke no Fūin Shiki_ for a moment. Put this tag on your chest and channel your chakra into it until I tell you to stop."

Naruto carefully took the proffered tag and looked at it.

"Are you sure it'll be temporary?"

"Tested it on myself." Jiraiya shrugged. Naruto gave it another look, then he removed his tunic and placed the tag on his chest before starting to channel chakra.

"Wow, you have a strong chakra system." Jiraiys said and Naruto lifted his hand, staring at the glowing lines of chakra and the dots that were his tenketsu. "Ah, there's the seal, let's see… filter… buffers… aha! There they are, the storage seals for the _Kage Bunshins_ … what the? Did he screw up the inflow runes… oh… Oh, Minato, you _fucking GENIUS_!"

"What is it?" Naruto asked and Jiraiya grinned.

"I always knew that my student was brilliant. He planned ahead and saw that it might be possible to supply extra chakra to his and Kushina's _Bunshin_ s, so he provided spare inflow runes for it. All I need to do is apply a pair of medical chakra purification seals that were developed four years ago and we'll be able to wake your parents up! Heck, apply _four_ of them and they'll be able to accumulate enough chakra to manifest _Kage Bunshin_ s of their own in the real world, although it'll only be about one a day at best…"

"And if we use purified Youkai?"

Jiraiya froze. "What?"

"I assume that there are inflows for both of them." Naruto asked and Jiraiya nodded. "Then a normal seal each for sustaining them and a purified Youkai seal to boost their power levels."

"That would cause them to overload." Jiraiya mused slowly. "Even at the lowest levels such a seal could operate at, it would be too much for them."

"And if you split the output? Or maybe divert it into a chakra reservoir for them to use?"

Jiraiya paused, then he slapped himself on the forehead. "Why the hell didn't _I_ think of that! It would let them both tap into it at will while the medical seals would act as a safety net… kid, you're brilliant! Just brilliant! I'll start work on it this afternoon."

Naruto opened his mouth to answer, then he felt the tag on his chest shred and fall off. A second later, the chakra lines showing in his hand faded away.

"What happened?"

"Meh, the tag burned out." Jiraiya said with a shrug even as he scribbled into a notebook that he had pulled out. "Happens when you have Kage-plus levels of chakra."

"And will the seals you're planning turn invisible like the rest of me?"

Jiraiya froze for a long moment. "Ah hell. I'm going to need to mix some very special inks… charge up this chakra storage seal for me, will you? I'm going to have to do a _lot_ of experimenting. Oh, remind me to pull out the Toad Contract for you sometime next week."

.

Sasuke watched as his older brother's temporary team vanished from view, then he turned and walked towards the Uchiha district. Despite the complex seal surrounding it, the mark that Orochimaru had given him still seemed to somehow throb, albeit without any actual pain.

"Uchiha Sasuke?"

Sasuke paused as the slightly-familiar voice hailed him. Turning, he found himself facing one of the few Uchiha more powerful than his father.

"Naori-sama." He managed despite his suddenly dry throat.

"Your brother asked me to oversee your training." Naori said and Sasuke almost stopped breathing. He was going to be trained by one of the _Uchiha no Mangekyu_!

"I have some new _Raiton_ jutsu for you to learn and given your skills and chakra nature, I think you should start learning _Kenjutsu_. At the very least, you should learn the _Intercepting Blade_ style. Your brother said that you are already skilled for your rank in our main taijutsu style, the _Intercepting Fist_."

Sasuke nodded as he tried not to glance at Naori's left hip where two swords were attached by combat bandages.

"Will I be learning twin wielding?" He asked hopefully and Naori gave him a long look before shaking her head.

"No, you don't have the flexibility for that. If we can get your speed and strength up a little bit more, though, then I believe that you would be well-suited to using a Chokuto. Of course, that depends on you getting good enough. Are you up to it?"

Sasuke nodded with a determined expression on his face.

"Good. Let's go. Oh, you'll be sparring against someone else who can use two swords."

"Really?" Sasuke asked, then he halted in his tracks. "You can't mean… Rock Lee?"

Naori nodded and Sasuke paled.

"I watched him in the preliminaries… Oh Kami."

Unseen by Sasuke, Naori smirked.

.

Anko _just_ managed to avoid the unexpected strike and countered, only for her arm to go numb as a trio of strikes blocked her tenketsu while simultaneously hitting a pressure point. Cursing, she leapt away, only for her adversary to move with her at almost exactly the same time, almost as if they were two bodies controlled by a single mind.

"Enough!"

Hinata's palm came to a stop a bare inch away from Anko's nose and the older Kunoichi sagged in relief.

"How the _hell_ did you do that?"

Hinata blushed and looked down. "I… came across a book on Hellstromism a few years back."

"Bloody hell." Anko cursed. "Hellstromism… muscle reading…"

"I use chakra-reading as well." Hinata interjected, earning another shocked look.

"You're telling me that you've managed to turn your _Byakugan_ into the Hyuuga equivalent of a one-tomoe _Sharingan_?"

Hinata ducked her head and Anko slumped against one of the trees surrounding the training area, rubbing her deadened arm.

"Does Ruto know about this?"

"I… haven't actually told him." Hinata admitted and Anko nodded approvingly.

"Good. He'll probably have a few surprises for you when you face each other, so keeping some of your own in reserve is an excellent move. You ready for senbon practice?"

"Yes, sensei."

"Good." Anko grinned as her hands suddenly filled with metal needles. "Dodge!"

.

Bee watched approvingly as Samui and Omoi sparred against each other. Although they were being careful to avoid lethal or disabling strikes, neither of them were holding back, their swords seeming to blur as they spun and dodged in a steel-edged dance of death.

Beside him, Karui grumbled under her breath. Bee gave her a curious look and she sighed.

"Wondering how I screwed up against that bowl-headed idiot."

"Be cool about it, he was better, that's all. It happens."

"He cut my clothes off without touching my skin!" Karui half-shouted. "Even _I_ can't do that to someone if they're standing still, let alone trying to fight back."

"Kid worked hard for that." Bee allowed and Karui _huff_ ed in exasperation.

"How did he get that good?"

"'cause _kenjutsu_ and _taijutsu_ is all he has." Bee said, earning a shocked look. "I been talking to others about him, he got chakra, but he ain't able to use it."

Samui disengaged from Omoi in a clattering of blades and walked over.

"Did I hear you right? He can't use his chakra?"

Bee nodded and Samui grinned in a manner that would have made any nearby demon proud.

"Sensei, what _genjutsu_ can you teach me?"

.

Baki watched closely as Jiraiya examined the seal that held the Ichibi inside Gaara. After a few moments, Jiraiya shook his head and walked over, his face showing barely-restrained fury.

"What the _hell_ was the person who applied that seal _thinking_?!" He snarled. "There's _no_ mental protection at all and the power-control runes… I'm amazed that the one-tail hasn't broken free already! It could escape at any time!"

Baki paled at that. "Lord Kazekage wanted a weapon…"

"And he got an unstable explosive tag with enough power to destroy Suna." Jiraiya growled back, ten he sighed and shook his head. "Alright, listen. Either you let me fix that abomination of a seal, or I'll have the Hokage expel your team as a danger to Konoha. I don't want a seal _that_ unstable around me for any longer than I absolutely have to have it."

Baki sighed. "We would prefer to stay. Fix it."

Jiraiya nodded, then paused. "Out of interest, who did the seal?"

"Lady Chiho."

"What?" Jiraiya exploded. "You mean you let a _Fuinjutsu_ _apprentice_ try to create a seal that you need to be a _Fuinjutsu_ _master_ to do? No wonder your Jinchuuriki is totally fucked up. You have no idea how lucky you are, there was an incomplete suicide array built into that seal! Two more runes and Suna would be a glowing _crater_ by now!"

Baki gulped as the enormity of the situation crashed home like a collapsing dune.

"What the _fuck_ was she trying to do?" Jiraiya continued, ignoiring the pale ninja. "It's like she tried to mash together three incomplete designs without stopping to analyse them!"

"The Kazekage insisted on the job being done as quickly as possible." Baki offered meekly, then he swallowed as Jiraiya glared at him.

.

Zabuza frowned as Chojuro staggered as he frantically blocked.

"Enough!"

Suigetsu stepped back and slung his weapons while the spectacle-wearing teen failed to do the same as his arms were trembling too much.

"Chojuro, you need to do more strength exercises." Zabuza grumbled. "Take half an hour to relax, then start with…"

"Zabuza-sama!"

Zabuza turned to see his third genin approaching. "Yes, Haku? Ah, you're Maito Gai, aren't you?"

The bowl-haired green-spandex-clad Jonin grinned and Zabuza blinked as his teeth seemed to sparkle in the light.

"Yes, I am Maito Gai, the famed Green Beast of Konoha! Your youthful genin asked for help for a friend and I could not turn down such a request."

Zabuza's gaze tracked to Haku, who shrugged slightly. "You saw how strong Lee-san was in the preliminaries, Gai-sama is the one who trained him. I hoped that he could give Chojuro-san a few pointers."

Zabuza turned back to the Konoha Jonin, then looked round almost frantically, finding him examining a freaked-out Chojuro.

"How the hell did he move that fast? He's as fast as you are!"

Haku started to reply, then paused as Gai started to rummage in a bag.

"Where did that bag come from? He didn't have it before, did he?" Zabuza half-ranted as Gai pulled out a set of four weights and placed them in front of Chojuro.

"These are Lee's old training weights. These are the leg weights and these are for your arms. They weigh twenty kilos each, but have weight seals so that you can increase how heavy they are by placing chakra into them. They can go up to three hundred kilos."

"Total?" Chojuro asked in a tone of voice that made it clear that he knew that he wasn't going to like the answer. Gai laughed.

"Total? No, my youthful friend, _each_. They are too light for my youthful student Lee, but I am certain that they will help you in your quest to become a genius of hard work!"

"Bloody hell." Zabuza cursed. "Twelve hundred kilos is _too light_? What the _fuck_ is he?"

"That was a most unyouthful bit of language, Zabuza-sama." Gai frowned reprovingly.

.

"Ruto-san." Said the first of the three ninja in greeting as Naruto stepped out of his home. "I am Shiranui Genma. The scarred one is Namiashi Raido and the one with the small goatee is Tatami Iwashi."

"No jokes about my name, please." Iwashi said with a haughty look. "I've heard them all and I'm _flat-_ tered by the amount there are."

"Honored to meet you." Naruto said and Raido grinned lopsidedly.

"We're here to see if you can learn your father's jutsu."

"But… I already know it." Naruto said slowly as he held up his left hand and created a _Rasengan_ in it.

"We mean the _other_ jutsu." Iwashi said as the trio moved to surround Naruto, then they extended their arms, placing their thumbs and first two fingers together so that the three of them formed a triangle.

"What are you… whoah!"

For a brief instant, they were surrounded by smoke, then it vanished to show that they were stood on top of the Hokage monument. The three chunin lowered their hands and Genma rolled the senbon in his mouth to the other side.

" _That_ was the _Hiraishin_." Raido said, turning to gaze out over Konoha. "We can perform it as a team, but your father could perform it at any time. Although you may not be able to learn it in time to use it in the finals, it is our hope that you eventually gain the ability to perform it."

Naruto blinked several times, then he nodded slowly.

"I have the original scrolls, but…"

"You do?" Raido interrupted. "Can we see them? We might be able to learn how to do it solo!"

"…I'll have to discuss this with Hiashi-sama…" Naruto managed and the three chunin took position around him again.

"There's a tag in his study. Let's go!"

.

Hyuuga Hiashi prided himself on his self-control. He refused to let anything overcome his poise and dignity, even the attempted treason by the former Elders against the clan had not made more than a minor dent in his demeanour. Even the weird _genjutsu_ lantern that Naruto had made had simply caused no more than a minor external twitch, despite how it violated all the rules of logic and common sense.

He would therefore deny to his dying day that he screamed like a little girl when four people appeared in the middle of his study in a flash of light.

"Hinata?" Naruto called as he looked around him while Hiashi quickly brought his heartbeat back under control.

"She… is not here."

"Ah." Naruto said, completely missing the smirks of the three Chunin he was with. "Hanabi? Sorry we scared you."

"She is at the Academy." Hiashi said, then he mentally facepalmed as Naruto looked round.

"Really? I could have sworn I heard her scream."

"It was just your imagination." Hiashi said quickly. "I assume that from the manner of your arrival that you wish to examine the _Hiraishin_ scrolls?"

"Yeah." Naruto said, then he paused. "Hey, do any of the Hyuuga know it?"

"No." Hiashi said. "You did not give us permission to learn it, so we did not. Besides, if we did then the Uchiha would probably rise up against us because we would have too much power."

"Oh." Naruto said thoughtfully. "This is another of those _Rasengan_ things, isn't it?"

" _Rasengan_ things?" Raido asked curiously.

"Clan techniques." Hiashi said in explanation. "The more people know a technique, the more likely it becomes that those who would misuse it learn it as well."

"Then, yeah." Genma said. "This is one of those _Rasengan_ things."

.

Kankuro smirked as the two puppets worked together to shred his target.

"That's _nasty_." Temari said from the deckchair that she was lying in. Kankuro's smirk widened.

"Watch _this_!"

The six-armed puppet grabbed the next target in its arms, a life-sized straw-man, and used them to push the mannequin into its open torso, which then slammed shut. At the same time, the arms and head of the Crow puppet detached, revealing that they ended in long, sharp blades. The detached parts floated into position around Black Ant, which had used its arms to secure itself to the ground, then they lunged forwards, each blade neatly penetrating through a hole in Ant's torso and impaling the mannequin. The sound of bursting rubber preceded a trickle of water flowing out of the base of Black Ant, then it's torso opened and the shredded remains of the straw-man tumbled out, trailing strands of rubber from the water balloons that had been inside it.

Temari winced as Crow's limbs and head floated back to the rest of the puppet, reattaching themselves.

"If I can get the scythes to work, I won't need to use Crow as part of the finishing move, but for now it will take down most enemies it catches." Kankuro said with an evil smile. "I'll take down that Ice user that almost killed you. No-one does that to _my_ family and lives. No-one."

.

Hinata lifted up the odd piece of curved metal and looked at it curiously. The outside of it seemed to be a single piece of steel with a notch at the lower midpoint. Above the notch was engraved the Leaf of Konoha.

The inside was a different story, however. Lined with a different metal, it had a _fuinjutsu_ array carved into it.

"Put it on."

Hinata shrugged mentally and, knowing that her beloved wouldn't hurt her, she placed the metal band on like a pair of sunglasses. To her surprise, the band became transparent almost the instant she slipped it into place. Turning, she froze at the sight before her.

"Ruto-kun…"

"It's something the old pervert came up with as using chakra-color tags was becoming less of an option since my chakra was developing a resistance to it." Naruto grinned and Hinata could see his grin, even without using her _Byakugan_. "It needs my chakra to make it work, I need to recharge it every week or so, but it means that if you wear it, you can actually see me. What color am I?"

"Silver." Hinata said, tilting her head slightly. "How…?"

"Well, you remember that I see because the light that passes through my eyes affects the chakra in them?" Naruto asked and Hinata nodded. "These use a similar thing. Any light that passes through me briefly carries tiny parts of my chakra with it. This visor picks up that chakra and turns it into silver light for whoever's wearing it."

"Amazing." Hinata breathed.

"They take a while to make, though, and the metal is rather expensive." Naruto shrugged. "It also has the advantage of concealing the use of your _Byakugan_."

Hinata nodded, then she activated her _Dojutsu_. Instantly, the whole world seemed to turn grey with threads of chakra permeating it.

"It doesn't make you glow you this way." Hinata half-complained and Naruto shrugged.

"Well, pervy-sage wasn't sure how to make it work with the _Byakugan_ , so he instead made it all transparent to active _Dojutsu_ s. I was going to give one to Itachi-sensei and another to Kiba once they return from their mission."

Hinata took off the visor and smiled at Naruto.

"I think that they'll appreciate it. It'll also be useful when we have children."

Naruto started to nod, then paused.

"If I can get one that I can cause to _fade_ , I'll be able to see my hands and feet when I'm using my _Toton Kekkei Genkai_! That'll _really_ help me with my stealth!"

Hinata smiled as Naruto ran off, intent on finding Jiraiya to tell him about his new idea.


	24. Summoning

Neji paused at the entrance of the large Dojo and stared in amazement at the sight before him.

Around the edge of the Dojo were over thirty members of the Branch family, ranging from small children to the Branch Elders, each of whom had a pile of various objects that they were throwing at Hinata, who was standing in the center and not even trying to dodge.

None of the projectiles were even getting close to her, however.

Neji activated his _Byakugan_ and felt his respect for the former Clan Heiress rise even higher. She was standing proud, her hands moving so fast that they seemed to blur and leave after-images. From the palm of her hands she was expelling chakra, but shaping it into long blades that she was using to weave a protective dome around herself, using her flexibility to ensure that it provided full three-hundred and sixty degree protection.

"Incredible." He whispered as he stood almost entranced by the deceptive simplicity of the technique.

"She calls it the _Shugohakke Rokojuyon Sho_." His father noted from just behind him and Neji nodded almost absently as another barrage of thrown items disintegrated as they impacted the dome.

"Protection of the Eight Trigrams Sixty-four Palms." He whispered. "It looks like it could defeat the _Kaiten_. So _this_ is the technique that Kiba was talking about."

The barrage stopped and Hinata lowered her arms, allowing the chakra dome to fade away.

"Neji-nii-san!" She called and Neji bowed.

"Hinata-sama." Neji replied as he straightened to see Hinata pouting at him and he fought down a chuckle. "That is an amazing technique."

"I was inspired by the _Rasengan_." Hinata admitted and Neji nodded, remembering how the chakra blades had seemed to twist and lash as they formed the dome.

"I do not think that I could do that." Neji admitted, then he let the corner of his mouth briefly quirk upwards. "I am nowhere near as flexible as you are."

Hinata shrugged as she accepted a beaker of water. "If you can do half a dome, then perhaps someone else could do the other half."

"A fascinating idea." Hiashi said as he entered the Dojo, causing all the Branch members to bow. "Daughter, once the exams are over, perhaps you could help develop that technique further."

Hinata nodded. "Yes, father."

.

"Alright!" Jiraiya announced as Naruto entered the training area that the Hyuuga had allowed them to use. "Bee-san tells me that you've managed to make friends with the Kyuubi similar to how he's friends with the Hachibi. Is that right?"

Naruto nodded. "Um, yeah, kinda. I've given him full access to my senses and… well, watch this. _Bijuton: Kage Youkai Bunshin_!"

A burst of smoke heralded the appearance of a small fox with multiple tails, which looked round, then up.

" **Dammit, use more of my youkai next time."**

"… _naruto_?" Jiraiya asked slowly as he subtly shifted his weight, ready to attack or defend.

"Hmmm? Oh, this is Kurama-sama. Or a clone of his. When it pops, Kurama gets all the memories like I do with my clones, I made one earlier today at his request. And if I channel more of your youkai, it starts to hurt, Kurama, remember? We're still working on a direct mental link so that he can be in the seal while directly experiencing the real world. I think I need to talk to Inoichi-sama about that."

The kit-kyuubi sulked and Naruto laughed.

"Hey, you had fun when we practiced this yesterday evening. Remember how Hanabi glomped you?"

The kit-kyuubi looked away. **"Never talk about that again."**

"You liked it." Naruto protested. "You let her fall asleep wrapped in your tails."

Kurama growled, then glared at the Toad Sannin who had fallen over and was writhing on the ground as he howled with laughter.

" **Foxes eat toads, so shut up or I'll decide to have a snack!"**

"Whoooo, sorry." Jiraiya gasped as he sat up and wiped his eyes.

.

Iruka stared at the Hyuuga Heiress who was sitting at her desk, stoking a small multi-tailed fox's belly. The rust-colored fox was sprawled out half-asleep as her fingers stroked its fur.

If not for the size and the fact that it was almost comatose with pleasure, Iruka would have mistaken it for the Kyuubi.

Konohamaru gave her a long look that bordered on a glare. The boss had given Hanabi a cool fox, but not him? He was going to have to ask for one too. There was no way he was going to let himself fall behind again.

.

"So why did you want me to make a small clone of you for her anyway?" Naruto asked his biju companion.

"… **ummmm, because you see her as family and it would hurt you to lose her, and that would affect how often I get to come out?"** The Kyuubi offered weakly. Jiraiya fell over again and Kurama glared at the laughing man.

"So, what did you want?"

Jiraiya sobered, then his hands flashed through a series of five seals before he bit his thumb and slammed his hands down. A cloud of smoke engulfed him and when it cleared, Jiraiya was standing on the back of a large orange toad which had blue markings.

"I think you're ready to sign the Toad Contract." Jiraiya said as he hopped down. The orange toad looked at him, then at Naruto.

"Gama, this is Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto, also known as Yurei Ruto. Naruto, meet the guardian of the Toad Contract, Gama."

"Honored to meet you." Naruto said and Gama stared at him with wide eyes.

"Hey, pervy sage." Gama croaked after a long moment. "There are floating clothes talking to me. Did you mess up my summoning or something?"

"It's his bloodlimit." Jiraiya said in explanation. "He's naturally invisible."

Gama thought about it for a long moment, then he shrugged. "So, what did you want? Wait, _Namikaze_? He's the Yondaime's kid?"

Jiraiya nodded proudly and Gama looked at Naruto again.

"Ahhhh. So you want him to sign like his old man did. Hold on."

Naruto watched in horrified fascination as Gama produced a large scroll from his mouth, using his tongue to lay it on the ground before nudging it so that it rolled open.

"The Toad Contract." Jiraiya pronounced proudly. "Sign it and you'll become the third Toad Summoner."

"Eeeeuuuugh." Naruto managed. "It's been in a toad's mouth! It's got toad spit all over it!"

Jiraiya facepalmed. "No, it hasn't and it doesn't."

"What?" Naruto half-yelled. "Listen, old man, I _know_ what I saw!"

Gama chuckled as he watched the impromptu show.

"The scroll is stored in another dimension and while Gama uses his tongue to summon it, he's careful not to get it damp. Got it?" Jiraiya growled and Gama nodded in confirmation.

Naruto looked at them both suspiciously before walking over to the scroll and looking at it.

"That's my dad's signature?"

"Yes it is." Jiraiya said proudly. "My greatest student. Now, all you have to do is to sign your name in blood."

Naruto nodded and Jiraiya watched as his glove seemed to drift above the scroll.

"Done? Good. Now, you just need to draw a little blood and then use the following seals, boar, dog, bird, monkey and ram before slamming your hand down and releasing your chakra. Don't forget to use as much chakra as you can."

Naruto nodded and his gloves seemed to flicker as he rushed through the seals.

" _Kuchiyose no Jutsu_!"

Jiraiya's eyes widened in shock as Naruto vanished in a cloud of smoke, then he quickly bit his thumb and ran through his own set of seals.

" **Jiraiya! If you have summoned me to help you peek at girls again…"** The massive toad growled and Jiraiya shook his head.

"No, Lord Gamabunta, I didn't. Listen, why did you reverse-summon Naruto?"

Gamabunta blinked, then he placed the tip of a paw on the scroll that was still on the ground in front of Gama.

" **What are you talking about? You're the only active summoner we have."**

Jiraiya froze, then he grabbed the horns on his custom Hitai-ate and groaned.

"Oh Kami! Invisible blood, invisible chakra… why the _fuck_ didn't I think it would be a problem!"

Gamabunta blinked again.

" **Jiraiya… what are you talking about?"**

.

Naruto looked round at the place where he had found himself.

"What the…? What happened to me?"

A sound behind him caused him to spin round and he paused.

"You don't look like a Toad to me…"

.

"… **this isn't good."** Gamabunta noted, earning a flat stare from Jiraiya.

"Not good?" The Toad Sannin repeated in a voice barely a hair's breadth from hysteria. "Not _good_? He could be _anywhere_!"

" **No, he is in the lands of the summon tribe most suited to himself."** Gamabunta said thoughtfully. **"Perhaps if you describe his personality to me, I can work out which summons he may have been sent to and thus begin negotiations to get him back."**

Jiraiya slumped to the grounds. "Oh hell, I'm _so_ dead. Where the hell did that brat go?"

" _What have you done to my snuggly_?" A female voice ground out behind him and Jiraiya's eyes widened as he felt the specter of death looming over him. " _What do you have to say for yourself_?"

"Ultimate Toad-sage technique!" Jiraiya yelped. " _Run-screaming-like-a-little-girl no jutsu_!"

.

Tenten somersaulted away from her purple-haired adversary's attack, flicking out an arc of shuriken as she did so in order to buy more space. As she landed, she realised that her attempt had failed as the edge of a sword came to rest against her jugular.

"You need better reflexes than that." Yugao said, stepping back and sheathing her sword. "As soon as I got close, you had lost."

"Dammit." Tenten cursed as she started to collect and store the weapons she had used.

"Can you use a sword?" Yugao asked curiously and Tenten shrugged.

"I can, but I've never been formally trained."

Yugao _hmmmm_ 'd in thought. "Any non-projectile weapons that you _have_ trained in?"

"Well," Tenten mused, "I can use single or twin Kamas, Kusari Fubo, Kusarigama, Johyo, tanto, tonfa…"

"I get the message." Yugao said quickly as Lee finished his warm-up exercises and trotted over. "Okay, we'll work through your weapons to find out which one is best suited against a sword-user. What's a Kusari Fubo?"

Tenten grinned as she pulled out a small storage scroll and unrolled it. Applying chakra to one of the seals, she turned to show the weapon to Yugao.

"A short club with a weighted chain at each end?" Lee asked in confusion. "How does it work?"

Tenten grinned, then she shifted her grip to one of the end-weights. Spinning the weapon, spun and twisted, causing the weights to describe complex patterns in the air, then she hurled it at a tree and Yugao's eyebrows shot up as the Kusari Fubo smashed straight through the trunk, toppling it in a cloud of splinters.

"Wow." She managed after a long moment. "That's one long-range attack sorted and one I don't think he'll see coming."

"IIIIITTTT WAAASN'T MYYYYYY FAAAAUUUULT!"

"…and I didn't see _that_ coming." Yugao managed as she, Tenten and Lee turned to watch the vanishing cloud of dust that marked the passage of Jiraiya and Hinata.

"…was that a youthful run, or was it unyouthful?" Lee mused.

.

"G… gaara?"

The red-haired boy slowly sat up and looked around.

"I… was asleep?"

Temari nodded and Gaara blinked a few times.

"The… seal works. I cannot hear the Ichibi any more."

Temari stared as Gaara stood up and blinked several more times.

"I must go and thank Jiraiya for fixing my seal…"

"I DON'T WANNA DIIIIEEEEEE!"

Temari and Gaara exchanged confused glances, then Gaara's sand whipped out and flung open the curtains just in time to see two blurs pass by.

"Was that…?"

Gaara stared wide-eyed at the departing duo.

"That girl… she is chasing Jiraiya-sama and he is scared of her… I may need to reconsider my actions should I meet her in the finals."

Temari nodded slowly. "I'm suddenly very glad that I didn't make it, if all the Leaf ninja are that good. I mean, her fiancee is the one that _Zabuza_ finds scary."

"Indeed." Gaara allowed. "However, for now I hunger… for salted tongue. I believe that Baki-sensei has some among his rations."

"SOOOMEONE HEEELP MEEEE!"

Temari turned away from the sight of the panicking Toad-sage frantically dodging chakra-laced strikes.

"Gaara, wait up!"

.

Bee rubbed at his jaw and glared at his fellow Kumo Jinchuuriki.

"Why you hate my rap?"

"Now is not the time." Nii Yugito growled as she looked at the trio of collapsed genin. "What the _hell_ were you _doing_?"

"Training." Bee grumped as he started to pick up and sheath the swords that he had dropped when Yugito had punched him in the face. "They said they were ready and you know how I hate over-confidence.  
"They may talk real big/ but they ain't quite there, do ya dig?"

Yugito shook her head. "Dammit, Bee! We need them ready for the finals! You keep doing that to them and they'll have to drop out because they'll be in hospital!"

"Hey, don' worry, they'll be fine/ I went light on them this time."

Yugito opened her mouth to say something, then paused.

"SOOOOMMMEEEEOOONNNEEE HEEEEELLLLP MEEEEE!"

"…the hell?"

"Hey, weren't that the toad-sage?" Bee mused. "Thought he normally chased da girls, not da other way 'round."

"…was that a Hyuuga?" Yugito asked and Bee sighed.

"Okay, Gyuki, they're coming back so let's stop them 'fore they hurt themselves. _Eight-tails partial transformation_!"

The air behind Bee seemed to ripple, then eight tentacles appeared from his back, each stretching almost twenty feet. Bee took a couple of steps, then he strained against the sudden impact as his tentacles wrapped round the two figures, halting their chase.

"Hey there now, what's all dis here/ Ya runnin' and fighting and causing lotsa fear.  
"Little girl tell me why ya chase the ol' perv/ causin' him to dodge, to duck and to swerve."

"Hm _mmph_ , hm _m_ mph _hm_ ph!"

Bee frowned, then shifted the tips of the tentacles, freeing Hinata's mouth.

"He did something and Ruto-kun's gone!"

"Not my fault!" Jiraiya countered as he tried to wriggle out of the tentacles that were wrapped round him. "I didn't realize that his chakra would cause that to happen!"

"Cause what to happen?" A new voice asked and Jiraiya managed to turn even paler as he looked at the new arrival.

"Sensei… ahhh… well, you see… I…"

Sarutobi Hiruzen motioned for Jiraiya to stop, then he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Bee-san, if you would be so kind as to bring them to my office? I don't think that I can risk you releasing either of them yet."

"Sure thing, Hokage-sama." Bee replied with a respectful nod.

"I'll look after your team." Yugito said, then she reached out and grabbed Bee's scarf, dragging him down to her level even as she raised her other hand to show that her fingernails had extended into long claws. "And if you do _anything_ that gets us into trouble, I'll ensure that you can only rap in _soprano_ , got it?!"

Bee nodded frantically and Yugito released him with a cheerful smile. "Okay, off you go."

"Is… she normally like that?" Hiruzen whispered and Bee nodded.

"Oh yeah, you annoy her and she'll claw your face off."

Hiruzen winced.

.

"Haku." Zabuza said as he lowered his bottle. "This is damn good Sake. What is it?"

"I am… rather nervous about my upcoming fight with the Hyuuga girl." Haku admitted and Zabuza glanced at his apprentice.

"What? Why?"

"I saw the Toad-sage fleeing from her."

Zabuza choked, causing the Sake he was drinking to spray all over himself. Choking and spluttering, he accepted a small cloth and wiped his face clean.

"You're telling me that Jiraiya of the _Densetsu no Sannin_ was _running away_ from that girl?"

"Screaming for help as he did so." Haku confirmed and Zabuza stood motionless for a long moment before handing over the bottle.

"I think you're going to need this more than I will."

"…thank you, Zabuza-sama." Haku managed, looking at the bottle in confusion.

.

Bee watched with interest as Hiruzen wrote a series of seals onto the two chairs in front of his desk.

"If you can please place them on the chairs, Bee-san?"

Bee nodded and, making sure not to touch the chairs themselves, positioned the captured duo above the chairs before releasing them.

"Dammit, sensei." Jiraiya moaned. "Gravity seals?"

"Thank you, Bee-san." Hiruzen said. "If you could inform Sasuke that our meeting will be postponed, I would be grateful."

Bee nodded and, dismissing his tentacles, quickly scooted out of the room, not wishing to be caught in the impending explosion. As the door started to swing closed, he sagged in relief.

"I take it I should come back later, then."

Bee looked at the black-haired youth who had spoken. "Depends, you Sasuke?"

"Uchiha Sasuke." The boy said with a slight bow. "An honor to meet you, Bee-sama."

"Backatcha." Bee grinned. "Saw you had a problem. You not all bent out about not getting to the finals?"

"There's always next time." Sasuke shrugged as he rose from the bench he had been sat on. "Besides, it gave me more time to try something. I think I've cracked that weird lightning of your brother's."

Bee removed his shades. "You use your eyes fo' dat? Wait, you can't have done..."

"I used my mind." Sasuke laughed. "Everyone knows about the five main elements, but they always forget about the Yin and Yang. As an Uchiha with a _Sharingan_ , I can use Yin release and Yang release. I tried to combine Yin release with my _Raiton_ and I suddenly had lightning that _absorbed_ light rather than expressed it. Felt different, too."

Bee stared at the youth for a long moment. "How…"

"I used my mind." Sasuke repeated with a smile. "For some reason, when I tried to use Yang with _Raiton_ , it was like my body and senses suddenly became supercharged. It was almost painful."

"Whoah." Bee managed and Sasuke grinned.

"I've already put my findings into the clan archives so even if something happens to me, my clan can continue to experiment."

"Damn." Bee managed. "Bro's gonna be pissed."

"Lots of luck and even more work." Sasuke shrugged. "It's taken me several weeks to actually get it to a point where I can start to experiment with it. We probably won't get any useful jutsu out of it for another generation or so. We're better at copying than innovating, my brother notwithstanding."

Bee nodded slowly. "Deyaaamn. I'm glad you ain't in the finals, my bro would have a heart attack if you used black lightning in front of him and I don' wanna be Raikage."

"I hear the paperwork for a Kage-position is quite bad." Sasuke agreed. "My brother says that he's stumbled across a jutsu that can reduce it."

The door slammed open, almost falling off its hinges, as a white blur shot past and Bee blinked as Hiruzen pinned Sasuke to the wall.

"What jutsu? What jutsu! Do you have _any_ idea how much paperwork there is to do? What jutsu did your brother find?!"

Sasuke whispered something and Hiruzen slowly released the young shinobi before walking to the other side of the room, removing his hat as he did so. Sasuke started sniggering as Hiruzen started to thump his head against the wall.

"Baka! Baka! Baka! _Kage Bunshin_! _Why_ didn't I work it out? Minato must have, why didn't he tell me?"

"Come on." Sasuke whispered to the gobsmacked Jinchuuriki. "I know a place that sells _great_ onigiri."


	25. Summoner

The cloud of smoke dispersed and Naruto looked up at the large castle looming before him.

"That… is a big place." He said slowly. "Are you certain that the scroll is in there, Shiromaru?"

"It is being guarded by my grandfather, Lord Shiromari." Said the small chameleon that was fading in and out of visibility on Naruto's shoulder. "He was summoned fifty years ago and never returned."

Naruto nodded and moved his hands into a familiar position, causing a veritable wall of smoke to form and then dispell.

"What are you doing?" the small reptile asked and Naruto grinned.

"Using my _Toton Bunshin_ to scout out the castle. Hopefully they'll be able to find the Summoning Scroll and when they do, we'll go in and get it."

"Good plan."

"Thanks, Shiromaru."

The chameleon nodded, then looked round curiously.

"This is strange. I wonder where grandfather is?"

"Who was the last summoner of your clan?" Naruto asked and Shiromaru turned one eye to look at him.

"The last summoner was a Samurai Lord, Kubisaki Koza, but he died almost fifty years ago." Shiromaru said, then he stiffened. "Hey, that was just after gramps was summoned! He must have summoned gramps and died before he could tell him to return!"

"Don't summons return when they run out of chakra?" Naruto asked and Shiromaru shrugged.

"Normal summons, yeah. Us chameleons, we're different. If we have enough chakra, we can tap into nature chakra as well. Really boosts our skills, gives us shapechanging abilities as well."

"So… Shiromari could be _anything_ in there." Naruto mused. "That is… not very reassuring."

"Anything or any _one_." Shiromaru said proudly, then he paused. "Maybe even a fake scroll. Oh dear."

Naruto started to nod, then froze. " _Zoinks_?! Why the heck would I say that?"

"What?"

"Oh, one of my clones tripped over a skeleton and dislodged something that took out another clone, but the one that tripped shouted _zoinks_. I didn't even know I _knew_ that word."

"It doesn't sound like something a ninja would say." Shiromaru agreed.

"…and one of my clones just caught a glimpse of someone… a samurai…" Naruto continued, earning a puzzled look. "My clones go in groups of four. If they encounter something, one of them dispels to alert everyone, giving them a heads-up. The second and third then check out whatever it was while the fourth hangs back in case something goes wrong, it can see what happens and passes on the memory so that the next team doesn't make the same mistake."

"…wow." Shiromaru managed after a long, thoughtful moment. "That's… impressive."

"Hinata and Kiba helped me to refine it." Naruto said with a slight shrug. "As an Inuzuka, Kiba's got a natural gift for pack-tactics and he adapted a hunting-pack technique for me to use."

"Sounds like a good friend." Shiromaru noted and Naruto nodded.

"He's the brother I never had. Arrogant, loud, brash, headstrong, brave, loyal… you couldn't ask for a better friend."

"I look forwards to meeting him."

"Once I've signed the contract." Naruto said, earning a hum of agreement. "There's that figure again… _the hell_?"

"What?"

"Something just _ate_ one of my clones!"

"What?"

.

Uchiha Naka glared at his new partner.

"Oh, stop that." Orochimaru said as he rummaged through a set of files, finally pulling out a sheet covered with a complex storage seal. "I'll tell you in a minute, I just need to check something."

Naka waited as Orochimaru unsealed a set of scrolls, scanned them and re-sealed them.

"All right. You wanted to know about Pein-sama and his six paths, right?"

Naka nodded. "And his eyes. I've never seen eyes like his before."

"The _Rin'negan_." Orochimaru confirmed, earning a shocked gasp. "Even if I had the _Mangekyo Sharingan_ like you do, I could not match his power. His eyes give him control of all the elements _and_ the ability to see chakra."

Naka whistled in amazement. "And his… paths?"

"The six paths of Pein." Orochimaru nodded. "Pein is six people, the one you've met is his primary personae. I don't know how it works, but from talking to the others I've figured out some of his abilities.  
"His main body is _Deva Path_ and can pull or push anything. Before you scoff, he can probably push a mountain down so hard it becomes a valley, or pull a tree so that it turns into a battering ram, all without having to move even a finger.  
"Next is his _Asura Path_ which uses weapons that I've never come across before. I have seen it create four extra arms and fire off hundreds of rockets.  
"The third is his _human path_ , but I have yet to find out what it does.  
"Fourth is the _Animal Path_ which can summon animals without needing to go through the summoning ritual. It can also apparently summon people who agree to be summoned, but again I don't know how it works.  
"Fifth is the _Preta Path_ who can absorb any chakra-based attack or technique while the _Naraka Path_ apparently has something to do with healing. Again, I don't know.  
"Be aware, however, that what one sees, they all see."

"And you're not tempted to try and claim one of those eyes for yourself?" Naka asked, causing Orochimaru to laugh sarcastically.

"Very much so, but I am only an S-class nukenin. Pein is an SSS-class. For now, I think I'll concentrate on getting a _Sharingan_ of my own. Oh, not yours, Pein commanded me to work with you. But once I do, perhaps you can give me a few tips on how to use it."

Naka smirked.

"Now, if you'll come with me, it's time to go and meet someone who will be helping us." Orochimaru grinned.

.

Naruto held up the lantern and used it to look around. Shiromaru fixed one eye on the lantern in confusion.

"Where did you store that?"

"Hmph? Oh, the lantern. I didn't, it's a _genjutsu_ that I came up with one day. Hiashi-sama gets a headache whenever I use it around him, I think it affects the _byakugan_ somehow, but Hinata and Hanabi don't have a problem."

Shiromaru's eye twitched to look at Naruto. "Wait. That lantern… is a _genjutsu_? How does that work? _Genjutsu_ are mental suggestions!"

Naruto shrugged. "Ummm, I think that because I use the _genjutsu_ of the lantern to see in the dark, it _allows_ me to see in the dark."

"Wha… bu… I…" Shiromaru started, then he cut himself off and inhaled deeply. "Hold on. It _shouldn't_ work like that! It's an imaginary lantern, right?"

"I… guess so." Naruto admitted.

"Then if the _lantern_ is imaginary, the light it creates should be as well!"

"…and?" Naruto asked, curious as to where his companion was going with the logic.

"And it **doesn't make any sense**!" Shiromaru yelled. "How does an imaginary lantern create _real_ light?"

"It doesn't." Naruto replied. "It only works for those I use the _genjutsu_ on."

Shiromaru froze and Naruto gave him a worried look.

"Shiro? Shiro?"

"It… only works… for…" the chameleon finally managed. "But… that doesn't… it can't… I think I know _why_ this Hiashi gets those headaches. What else can you do that you shouldn't be able to?"

" _Henge_ into visibility?" Naruto offered, earning another stare.

"What? But a _henge_ is just a chakra shell that changes how you look and _your_ chakra is _invisible_!"

"Really? A shell?" Naruto asked in shock. "I… didn't know that. Mine actually lets me change shape. Works for my _Toton Bunshin_ too, I use them as kunai and shuriken all the time."

Shiromaru didn't even manage to make a sound as both his eyes were fixed on the young shinobi.

" _You present quite the conundrum, young shinobi._ " A new voice whispered and Naruto turned, staring up at the old samurai looking at him with an amused smirk.

"Hey, you're the one my clones saw sneaking around earlier!"

.

"Greetings, Kabuto."

"Lord Orochimaru." The new arrival said as he reached up to adjust his glasses. "Jonin Naka."

"I see you are still a genin." Orochimaru smirked. "Stepped out during the final round of the secondaries?"

"Actually, no." Kabuto replied with a slight smirk. "I broke my left arm in an _accident_ , making it clear that I couldn't continue, but it allowed me to watch the fights while I acted as the med-nin watcher for young Uchiha Sasuke."

"Anyone of interest, apart from the Jinchuuriki?"

Kabuto reached into his pocket and pulled out a small package.

"It's all in here. The Hyuuga girl didn't actually fight, but she's built up quite the reputation since. Apparently your former team-mate is terrified of her."

Orochimaru raised a querying eyebrow. "Interesting, please continue."

"The others were pretty much of a muchness." Kabuto shrugged. "If you meet a genin with huge eyebrows, hes a _kenjutsu_ / _taijutsu_ specialist who moves incredibly fast. He's pretty much at mid-to-high Jonin speed. The male Kumo genin can use _raiton_ , which the Aburame seem very susceptible to, moreso than you expected."

"And the Konoha Jinchuuriki?"

"He didn't fight, his opponent forfeited." Kabuto said with a slight shrug. "I couldn't get any further information on him but since he's linked to the Hyuuga, we can expect him to have the _Rasengan_ at the very least."

Orochimaru took the package and nodded. "Excellent. Are you ready for the finals?"

"I already have my disguise sorted." Kabuto nodded and Orochimaru grinned.

"Excellent."

.

" _Why are you here, young shinobi?_ "

"Helping my new friend get his grandpa back." Naruto said, motioning to the chameleon on his shoulder. "The Elders said that If I signed the Chameleon Contract, I could then use it to return Lord Shiromari to his family while letting the Chameleon Clan reclaim their ability to access the shinobi world."

The grey-haired samurai nodded slowly.

" _And what say you, little one?_ "

"The Elders approve of Naruto, they want his to sign, but we need to find the scroll first. If the Elders summon it back, they don't know if they'll ever get a new summoner." Shiromaru chirped, earning a nod of agreement from Naruto.

The old man nodded. " _Very well. Your quest is an honorable one. The scroll is located in the uppermost room of the central tower._ "

"Thanks!" Naruto said, then he looked round. "Hey, where did you go?"

"I didn't see him leave." Shiromaru said in confusion. "Are we sure that he was a samurai and not a ninja?"

"He wasn't dressed like a ninja." Naruto mused as he made his way to the main staircase and began to ascend it. "Man, this is a tall tower."

Shiromaru tilted one eye up to look at the square staircase vanishing above them. "Do you have a clone up there?"

Naruto paused, then slapped his forehead. "I'm an _idiot_ sometimes. Hold on tight."

Shiromaru tightened his grip and an instant later, the world seemed to tighten and flex around them, spinning before depositing them at the top of the stairs.

"Okay." Naruto said, stepping forwards and pushing open the large door in front of him. "Let's see where… what the…?"

The aged samurai looked up from the large scroll he was examining. " _Ah, good. You made it._ "

" _I_ made it?" Naruto parroted in shock. "But… you… are you a twin or something?"

" _I am the last of my family._ " The man said sadly. " _I had thought that there would be no more who could summon my old friend Shiromaru, I am glad to have been mistaken._ "

"Kubisaki Koza!" Shiromaru suddenly gasped and the man nodded. "But… you're _dead_!"

" _I promised my friend that he would not be alone._ " Koza replied. " _Please, accept the burden._ "

Naruto swallowed before walking over. Koza stepped back and Naruto slowly unrolled the scroll, revealing Koza's signature. Biting his thumb, he repeated the process he had gone through once before, then he swallowed and channeled as much chakra as he could.

" _Kuchiyose no Jutsu_!"

The castle suddenly seemed to waver and Naruto found himself falling before a billow of cloud caught him.

" **Thou art my new summoner? Identify thyself!"**

"I am Yurei Ruto, formerly Uzumaki Naruto no Namikaze!" Naruto stated, trying to resist the rising panic. "I am friend of Shiromaru and the one who has signed the summoning scroll!"

For a long moment, the sense of pressure increased, then it vanished and Naruto found himself standing in the burned ruins of the castle.

"What the…? What happened?"

" **I accepted you as the new summoner of my clan."** The voice rumbled and Naruto spun round to see the rapidly-condensing cloud swirl and solidify into Koza…

…except that there were now _two_ of them.

"Huh?"

"Gramps!" Shiromaru shouted and one of the Koza's looked round, revealing his eyes to be glowing red.

" **Grandson. It has been too long… you have grown."**

" _I kept you here for too many years._ " The other Koza stated as he started to fade. " _My time is long gone, my friend. I wish you well and thank you for your loyalty._ "

Naruto blinked several times as the ghostly samurai vanished.

" **Farewell, old friend. May you find the peace you always desired."**

Shiromari vanished in a cloud of chakra-smoke and Naruto frowned.

"Great, how the hell am I meant to get back to Kono…"

The wind stirred the dust around the empty ruins.

.

Jiraiya flinched as Hinata glared at him from across the training grounds.

"Wow, Hime. What did the old perv do?"

"He took you away from me." Hinata replied, then she froze, her eyes widening so much that she could have been mistaken for Rock Lee's younger sister. "…naruto…?"

"Hinata-hime." Naruto whispered as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek. Hinata leaned back against him, then she turned round in his embrace and hugged him so hard that she inadvertently lifted him off the ground.

"Ruto-kun! You're back!"

"'nata… air!" Naruto choked and Hinata relaxed her grip, but refused to let go.

"Thank all the thousand Kamis." Jiraiya breathed. "Kid, take my word on this. _Never_ do anything that might piss her off. I barely survived her ire."

"What?" Naruto asked as he stroked Hinata's hair. "You're kidding, Ero-sannin, Hinata's the sweetest, kindest person I've ever met."

Hinata felt as if her face was about to ignite from her blush while Jiraiya stared at his godson in shock.

"She was trying to kill me!"

Naruto shook his head and turned his attention to the girl in his arms. "Come on, Hime. Let me wash and change, then how does ramen sound?"

Hinata giggled. "Ramen's your answer to almost everything, isn't it?"

"Hey, it _is_ the food of the gods."

"No, beloved, that's cinammon buns."

"Ramen."

"Cinammon buns."

Jiraiya watched the pair leave, then he ran through the summoning jutsu.

" **Jiraiya."**

"Gama." The Toad Sage replied. "Naruto's back."

" **Lord Shiromari used one of the lesser favors the Toad Clan owes the Chameleons to use the** _ **Enshinsui**_ **to send him back."**

"Favours?" Jiraiya blinked. "I thought the Toads were one of the strongest summon races there was. How could you owe _favors_?"

" **Long story, but the Toads aren't the only ones who owe the Chameleons."** Gama explained. **"The Snakes owe the Chameleons as well. Who do you think developed Sage Mode?"**

Jiraiya's jaw dropped. "Wha… bu… the pool…"

" **It was created by the Chameleons after the Juubi was destroyed and the Biju born. The Great Chameleon Sage visited Myoboku, altering a spring with nature-chakra fuinjutsu. I do not know what they did for the Snakes, but as a result, neither Toad nor Snake will fight against one who is bonded to the Chameleons."**

Jiraiya stared at Gama, and then he started to laugh.

" **What?"**

"Just wondering if my former team-mate was aware of this." Jiraiya chuckled. "Oh, if I ever find out where he is, I am _so_ taking my godson with me."

Gama stared at him for a long moment, then he started to chuckle as his mind followed the same path of logic.

.

"Welcome back, Ruto-san." Hiashi said with a slight smile as Hinata and Naruto entered the dining hall. "My daughters missed you."

His statement was proven as Naruto slammed into the ground, having been toppled by Hanabi's high-speed flying glomp.

"Ruto-nii-san!"

"Hey, little firecracker." Naruto laughed as he returned the hug. "Sorry to worry you like that."

Hanabi _hmmm_ 'd happily as Naruto shifted her so that he could sit up while still hugging her, then the other Jonin in the room coughed slightly.

"Welcome back, Ruto-kun."

"Itachi-sensei!" Naruto laughed, then he spotted the person sitting next to his teacher. "Sasuke."

Sasukestared at him, briefly activating his _Sharingan_. "Whoa, nii-san. That _is_ weird, even with my _Sharingan_ , I can't see him."

"It does take some getting used to." Itachi admitted as Hinata folded herself down to sit next to her fiancee. "I come bearing gifts from the Wave mission. I am sorry it took so long, but there was quite a problem with certain aspects of the Council."

"Wave mission?" Hinata asked curiously. "I don't remember anything major about it."

"The infiltration." Naruto realized. "You found something."

"We did." Itachi confirmed, making a small hand-sign. Sasuke nodded and placed a storage scroll on the table, unrolling it to reveal a complex seal before glancing at his brother. Itachi nodded and Sasuke applied some chakra to the scroll, causing a brief cloud of chakra smoke to form.

"Scrolls from Uzushiogakure, as collected by Gato." Itachi said as the smoke cleared. "As the last of Uzumaki blood in Konoha, these scrolls are yours by right."

"Several of the lesser clans disagreed with that, hence the delay." Hiashi added. "It took a while to resolve the issues due to the… economic implications."

Naruto nodded, his attention transfixed by the pyramid of scrolls of various sizes, all of which had spiral endcaps.

"What… what's in them…?"

"Other scrolls, books, weapons, valuable relics." Itachi said calmly. "ANBU checked the scrolls to ensure that none of them were trapped. Some of the gold was removed to pay for the retrieval mission and the checking, but the rest is yours to do with as you please."

"For now, I would suggest placing it in the Hyuuga vaults until such time as you have a vault of your own." Hiashi suggested.

"Good idea." Naruto agreed. "I'll place the summoning scroll in as well."

"The what?" Hiashi, Itachi and Hinata all chorused.

"Ah..." Naruto said slowly. "Did I forget to mention that?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The "zoinks" is canon, Naruto shouted it when he tripped over the skeleton in the Haunted Castle arc. The ghost is canon too, so if it seems unbelievable, blame Kishimoto.
> 
> As for the Sage Mode thing, how else could Shiromari have stayed as a castle for so long? Add that Chameleons can be sort-of placed between Toads and Snakes, who both know Sage Mode… hey, it made sense at the time of writing.


	26. Finals (Part 1)

"Wake up!"

Naruto exhaled sharply as Hanabi landed on him.

"Wake up!" Hanabi half-shouted. "It's the finals today, you don't want to be late!"

"The matches do not begin until one o'clock." Neji said from the door, a slight smirk on his face as he watched his youngest cousin bounce up and down in a very un-Hyuuga way. "I think that they have enough time to get washed, dressed and fed before then."

"Don't you have lessons today?" Hinata asked groggily and Hanabi shook her head.

"Nope! I'm going to watch you both win!"

"It's a knockout competition, Hanabi." Hinata said as she sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "Only _one_ person can win."

Hanabi shrugged as she leapt off the bed and scampered off. Naruto sighed dramatically.

"Remind me again why we put up with her?"

Hinata fought hard to not giggle as she swatted Naruto and then reached for the chest that held her lovingly-folded battle kimono.

At long last, she had a reason to wear her graduation gift.

.

"Good morning." Hiashi said as the duo entered while beside him, Hitomi smiled.

"Good morning, Hiashi-sama, Hitomi-san/good morning, father, mother." Both teens replied at the same time.

"Sit, eat." Hiashi said, motioning to the table which was laden with food. Hinata's eyes widened and she seemed to blur, ending up with a plate stacked high with cinnamon buns.

Ignoring Hinata's moans of pleasure as she consumed her bounty, Hiashi turned his attention to Naruto.

"I trust that you are both prepared for the finals?"

"We are." Naruto nodded. "I heard that Hinata's managed to complete that sixty-four palms protection move of hers, but I haven't seen it yet. Gonna be quite an obstacle."

"It is rather impressive." Hiashi noted, causing Hitomi to smother a giggle. "I am glad that she developed it _before_ she became a Yurei, otherwise the Hyuuga clan would have failed to gain a powerful new technique."

"Lord Hiashi, your guests have arrived."

"Show them in." Hiashi responded and the Branch Member stepped out of the way, allowing the two men through. "Itachi-san. Asuma-san."

"Lord Hiashi." Both men said as they bowed, then Hiashi motioned for them to sit.

"My father sends his greetings and respects and I carry a letter to Naruto from my cousin." Itachi said as he seated himself. "As I am taking the position of Hokage, father is resigning from his position as Advisor in order to prevent the Uchiha from being over-represented, although he will still head the clan and will remain on the Council. I intend to ask Aburame Shibi to become my newest advisor once I have accepted the hat."

"An interesting choice." Hiashi mused. "I would have expected Inuzuka Tsume to be the leading contender."

"Since I will be marrying her daughter the day after I accept the hat, it could be seen as granting the Inuzuka too much political power." Itachi said, then he grimaced. "I am finding myself disliking politics more and more."

"Dad hates it too." Asuma noted and Naruto tilted his head.

"Asuma-san, not that you are unwelcome, but why are you here?"

"Because my academy team failed my test bigtime, so I'm getting a better one." Asuma smiled. "I'm going to be the new sensei for your team, assuming that only one of you gets promoted. Means that I can help you hone that wind affinity of yours."

"…and should _both_ Hinata-hime and I get promoted?" Naruto asked, causing Asuma to grin.

"I still get Kiba but get to cherry-pick any current non-assigned genin to rebuild the team." He said. "I was considering having that Kabuto kid, having a medic on the team is a real boost on missions lasting over a week. And anyone who has as much bad luck as him… well, the exams aren't the _only_ way to get promoted."

"Field promotions." Hinata nodded. "Any ninja on an assignment of B-rank or above may be promoted one rank by a ninja two or more ranks above them, said promotions must however be confirmed by the Hokage or at least three members of the Council."

"Almost word for word what the regulations say." Asuma marvelled. "Brilliant."

Hinata blushed at the praise, ducking her head to try and hide it.

"Hinata, I've been making a few queries." Asuma said. "You've encountered Haku before."

Hinata blinked a few times. "I… have?"

"The one who rescued Zabuza from Itachi?"

"Oh! I was… rather distracted at the time."

"As was I." Itachi admitted. "Have you discovered Haku's gender?"

"You don't know?" Asuma asked, then he frowned as he thought through the things he'd heard. "Actually, I've heard Haku referred to as both a boy and a girl… Hinata, during your match, can you find out, please?"

.

Zabuza glared at the trio before him.

"Alright. You know our enemies, you know your own skills. Suigetsu, make damned sure you use that water wisely. I sealed over fifty thousand gallons into the inner seals and if you break it, I won't be happy."

Suigetsu nodded, one hand stroking the container on his back, a container that looked almost identical to the one carried by Gaara, except that it was made from a white ceramic and had a large tap (which looked more like a pipe valve) set into the base.

"Haku, don't mess around, hold back or give your opponent any openings. Suigetsu will leave his gourd in the feld, use it to get a quick win."

"Hai, Zabuza-sama."

"Chojuro, you are being reassigned. Mei arrived last night with that pansy Ao. You're going to be her new bodyguard for the tournament. Best behavior otherwise it'll be another full-contact all-day sparring session with me! Got it?"

Chojuro nodded almost frantically.

"Good. Let's go."

.

"Today, you shall both have a chance to display your flames of youth!" Gai exulted. "Your courage and youthful spirits will help you to overcome any obstacle in your path!"

Neji resisted the urge to roll his eyes as Gai continued his speech. Although he had missed out this time, his research into Suigetsu's clan had revealed several weaknesses that he wished he had known about beforehand. Although it was too late for him, he had made sure that both Lee and Tenten had been informed.

"…and without further ado, let us depart!"

Neji exchanged glances with his team-mates before they followed their oddly childlike sensei to the Arena.

Although he had been denied a chance to show his skills, he would support his team-mates.

No.

He would support his _friends_.

Neji smiled.

.

"The day is here, nice and bright/ the crowds they come to watch you fight.  
"You're personifying Kumo's pride/ That's the truth, I have not lied.  
"Stand tall, stand proud and wield your blade/ Ensure your enemies are dismayed.  
"So stride forth and win your fights/ And you'll be chunin by tonight!  
"Word!"

Karui sulked to one side, one hand absently stroking her tunic as if to check that it hadn't suddenly been shredded.

"Good luck with your match, Samui." Omoi said, then he swallowed nervously. "Don't get yourself killed, because if you do…ow!"

Karui lowered her hand and glared at her team-mate.

"Stop it!"

"Time for you both to put on a show/ To the chunin stadium we must now go." Bee rapped and the three genin followed their sensei towards the distant amphitheater.

.

Gaara opened his eyes as the final few loose grains of sand melded into the surface of his Gourd. Rising, he paused to run his hand over his modified seal in what had become an almost habitual gesture.

He was still going to have to have _words_ with Lady Chiyo when he returned, though. Her incompetence had almost ruined his ability to enjoy life.

A clattering noise caused him to turn as Kankuro entered the dining room, carried on the back of his favorite puppet. A scroll tucked away held his second puppet and he was rather proud of already being able to control _two_ at once.

The fact that Chiyo could control _ten_ was almost immaterial. After all, she still had a century or so of experience with puppets.

Shame that it didn't extend to seals…

A slight noise alerted him to Temari's entry and he turned to face her.

"It is a shame that you are not competing." He offered and Temari blinked.

"…thanks?"

"Hey, let's go!" Kankuro yelled from the doorway. "We got fights to win!"

Temari nodded, then she moved closer to Gaara.

"Father will be there. He arrived last night."

Gaara nodded, his face expressionless.

His father. The architect of his burden.

Perhaps he should…

No. He would fight for Suna. The fact that the man who sired him led it was merely an unfortunate problem.

He followed his siblings out of the door.

.

Sarutobi Hiruzen eased his aching body onto the chair reserved for the head of the Sarutobi clan and looked across at the Kage Box where Acting Hokage Uchiha Itachi (who was going to become the Hokage-in-truth as part of the Chunin Exam) had just finished welcoming the other three Kages, each of whom was moving to their own seats.

The Raikage was flanked by Nii Yugito (one of the two Jinchuuriki of Kumo) and a white-haired swordsman who had a tattoo for Lightning on his shoulder. Terumi Mei (The Mizukage) was flanked by Ao and Chojuro, making her the only Kage with a genin as one of her bodyguards whilst the Kazekage was flanked by two of his Jonin, Otokaze and Isago if Hiruzen remembered his briefings correctly.

Itachi returned to his own seat with Asuma and Kakashi acting as his own guards. As the contestants filed onto the field, taking their positions in front of the proctor, Hiruzen glanced up, his eyes homing in on one of the ANBU who was using sign language to indicate that the patrolling ninja reported no sign of any enemy movements.

Satisfied, Hiruzen returned his gaze to the field. This would be the first Chunin exams in over a decade that he had not overseen and he would be damned if he didn't take this opportunity to enjoy them with his grandson.

Speaking of…

Hiruzen accepted the bag of popcorn and held it long enough for Konohamaru to scramble into the chair next to his.

"It's Hinata-boss and Ruto-boss!" Konohamaru cheered as he spotted two of the figures. "Yeah!"

Hiruzen smiled at his grandson, then turned his attention back to the arena.

He was going to enjoy this.

.

Hiashi sat in the only chair with armrests in the Hyuuga box, thirty members of the Hyuuga clan (including his Heiress and the summoned clone of Kurama in her arms) accompanying him. On the other side of the Kage Box, he could see Fugaku sat on a similar chair in the Uchiha Box, a dozen Uchiha with him, including his wife and his younger son.

"Not many Uchiha today." Hizashi noted quietly and Hiashi nodded slightly.

"Most of them volunteered to help set up the celebration in the Uchiha Sector, they are celebrating the ascension of one of their own to the position of Hokage. Chouza mentioned that the Akamichi Bakeries have been working flat-out for the past week to supply the food."

"That… is a _lot_ of food." Hizashi finally managed.

"We have an invitation as well, but I intend to attend only briefly." Hiashi said. "It is odd… having served as Advisor alongside him… I think I actually respect him now. Although I would not call him friend, I find it hard to come up with another word to describe our relationship…"

"I feel certain that you will find the word you seek sometime, brother."

Hiashi could almost hear the smirk in Hizashi's voice.

.

Uchiha Fugaku glanced at the Kage box and smirked at the sight of his son exchanging words with the Mizukage. Below the Kage box, Sarutobi Asuma had joined the other Jonin-sensei whose genin were competing and was talking with Zabuza. From the few words he could lip-read, they were discussing the merits of various types of blades.

"Sir."

Fugaku nodded in acknowledgement to Shisui (who was waiting for his cue to appear in the arena) and then across to where Naori was sat by the entrance to the box. All of the loyal _Uchiha no Mangekyo_ were in the arena and although Fugaku sometimes envied their ability to use the incredible abilities of their _dojutsu_ , he had no desire to advertise his own equal abilities, preferring to rely on his actual skills instead.

Although Itachi had done the impossible and activated his _without_ losing anyone.

"And so it begins." Fugaku mused, then he almost face-palmed as Shisui chuckled. "I know, pretentious."

"Well," Shusui laughed, "We are _Uchiha_. Pretentious is what we do."

.

In a _genjutsu_ -shielded area atop the Hokage Mountain, a group of eight figures wearing black cloaks with red clouds stood on the lip of the cliff, watching over the hidden village.

"Thank you for pointing out the gaps in the detection array." Orochimaru said quietly, earning a glance from one of the six with the _rin'negan_. "I had planned on using large summons outside the village to break the walls, using them _inside_ will do far more damage."

"But you still wish to send your minions against the Uchiha rather than the Hyuuga." The leader said slowly. Orochimaru shrugged.

"I know that they are a major threat and thus need taking down quickly, but…"

"Did you ever consider what a _Byakugan_ might do for you?"

Orochimaru froze, his face blank, then a long, slow smirk spread across his face.

"It could prove very useful for my research… but I won't give up on my desire for the _Sharingan_."

"I do not expect you to." Pein replied, then he glanced at the Uchiha standing just behind them. "Remember what your mission is."

"To kill any Uchiha who survives your first strike." Naka smirked, his eyes flaring briefly into the _Mangekyo_.

"I do not want any survivors."

"Of course, Pein-sama." Naka acknowledged, then he grinned evilly. "This will be _fun_!"

.

Itachi stood and stepped forwards, causing the crowd's noise to diminish. Checking that he was wearing the seal-engraved microphone and it was turned on, he started to speak, his words echoing across the arena.

"Good afternoon. At noon, I had the honor of being appointed as Hokage, making this my first official duty.  
"Before me are ten people who have the capability and desire to seek promotion. They are here before us to prove that they are worthy of the rank of chunin.  
"Today, we will see them showing us their skills and abilities in a series of fights which will hopefully entertain and educate us.  
"From Kirigakure, we are honoured to have Hozuki Suigetsu and Yuki Haku, two of the new generation of the Seven Swordsmen of the mist. Representing Konohagakure are Higarushi Tenten, Hyuuga Hinata, Rock Lee and Yurei Ruto. Visiting us from Kumogakure are Omoi and Samui while representing our allies of Sunagakure are the siblings Gaara and Kankuro, children of the Kazekage.  
"These ten have overcome many obstacles to reach this place."

Itachi paused as a wave of cheering and applause rose from the audience. The line of genin looked up at the raised seats as the noise crested and slowly subsided.

"And now, may I present our proctor for this stage, Uchiha Shisui!"

"My name is Uchiha Shisui, sometimes called _Shisui no Shunshin_." The new arrival said as he materialized in front of the genin, pitching his voice so that it could be easily picked up by the sound-magnifying seals. "I am the proctor for this stage and as such, I have final say in what happens. You only fight when I tell you to and when I say to stop, you _will_ stop. If you don't, I will use any means I deem necessary, including lethal force if needed. If I have to do that, you can safely assume you have failed and thus will not be promoted."

The deadpan delivery of the final line caused a ripple of laughter through the audience, especially amongst the shinobi sections. Shisui waited for the noise to subside before continuing.

"I am one of the fastest people around, so if I deem it necessary to remove someone before an attack hits, they will find themselves moved to safety."

"Meh, I can move faster." Naruto drawled and Hinata gave him a shocked look. Shisui seemed to vanish, appearing just behind Naruto.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes, I am." Naruto said from where he had appeared behind Shisui, causing a large number of gasps from the audience.

"I don't think so." Shisui responded from behind Naruto.

"But I do." Naruto replied from behind Shisui.

As the duo started to lap the field by appearing behind each other, Hinata briefly activated her Byakugan and fought the urge to facepalm as she watched the line of invisible clones sequentially _kawarimi_ with Naruto, giving the impression that he was matching Shisui _shunshin_ for _shunshin_. After two laps, the pair spiraled inwards, reappearing in the exact spots that they had started from, causing a round of laughing applause from the audience. Shisui waited for the noise to die down before continuing.

"As you probably remember, your matches are as follows. Omoi versus Tenten first, then Kankuro and Ruto. Lee and Samui are third, Gaara and Suigetsu are fourth and then Hinata and Haku finish the first round. After that, the sixth match will be the winner of the first match and the winner of the second, then seventh is the winner of the third and the winner of the fourth. The winner of the fifth will fight the winner of the sixth with the winner of that match fighting the winner of the seventh.  
"I remind you that you do not need to win to be promoted, although it will help. The judges are looking for more than simple fighting skills.  
"As the first match is between Omoi and Tenten, please could all the other contestants make their way to the waiting area."

As they turned to go, Naruto paused by the bun-haired-girl's side.

"Good luck, Tenten."

"Thanks." Tenten replied.

"Good luck, Tenten-san."

"Thanks Hinata."

"YOSH! LET YOUR FLAMES OF YOUTH GUIDE YOU TO VICTORY!"

"Ummmm… thanks, Lee."

Stifling their laughter, Hinata and Naruto quickly walked across the arena floor to the doorway that led up to the contestants box.

"Who do you think will win?" Hinata asked and Naruto shrugged.

"I'm not certain." Hinata said slowly. "Omoi knows how to use his _Raiton_ and while Tenten has the same affinity, she has never really developed it."

"That would put her at a disadvantage, especially if he uses her wires against her." Naruto agreed as they emerged out of the top of the stairway. "Have you made plans for your match against Haku?"

"I have." Hinata nodded, then she sighed. "I don't know how much good they'll do, though."

"I believe in you." Naruto said and Hinata smiled even as she blushed at the sincerity of his voice.

"Oh, what was all that about with you and Shisui?" Hinata suddenly asked and Naruto chuckled.

"Well, you remember the letter that Itachi was carrying for me this morning…?"

.

Tenten looked across at her opponent who was watching her with a controlled expression. Carefully shifting her weight, she checked that her scrolls were still in their holsters and her tanto sheathed across her back even as Omoi placed one hand on the hilt of his sword.

"The first match between Tenten of Konohagakure and Omoi of Kumogakure." Shisui announced from one side. "Fight!"


	27. Finals (Part 2)

_Tenten looked across at her opponent who was watching her with a controlled expression.  
Carefully shifting her weight, she checked that her scrolls were still in their holsters and her tanto sheathed across her back even as Omoi placed one hand on the hilt of his sword._

" _The first match between Tenten of Konohagakure and Omoi of Kumogakure." Shisui announced from one side. "Fight!"_

Omoi unsheathed his sword in a flowing motion, then quickly used it to deflect the two of the trio of kunai that Tenten had launched at him, with the third whistling so close to him that it caused a few strands of his white hair to drift towards the ground. Even as he protected himself, Tenten leapt backwards, opening the range in order to let her use her best techniques.

"Interesting." Omoi mused, rolling his lollipop from one side of his mouth to the other. Tenten ignored his comment as she pulled out a small scroll, unrolling it with a snap of her wrist and unsealing the weapons within. Her hands seemed to flicker and Omoi leapt backwards, deflecting several of the shuriken which curved in three different paths through the space he had been standing. The flickering projectiles then altered course and Omoi's eyes widened just as the blades slammed into him, knocking him off his feet.

"Shit!" Tenten cursed as Omoi briefly vanished into a cloud of smoke and a log riddled with shuriken landed in his stead. Spinning round, she paused as she saw her opponent emerge from the copse of trees, then her eyes narrowed as a _second_ Omoi appeared and the two of them started to run towards her, swords ready to parry.

"Twin rising dragons!" Tenten shouted as she pulled out her special scrolls and slammed them onto the ground before channeling chakra into her legs and leaping vertically even as she reached out to the spiraling scrolls to unseal the weapons within.

Both Omoi's moved closer to each other and began parrying as Tenten unleashed all her projectiles at them, then one of them missed a kunai and exploded in a cloud of smoke, revealing itself to have been a shadow clone.

"Found you!" Tenten grinned as she refocused and the rain of weapons briefly increased before the remaining Omoi also dispersed.

"What the hell?" Tenten gasped as she landed. "That were _both_ clones? Then where the…"

A brief feeling on unease was her only warning, but it was enough to send her diving forwards as a blade stabbed through the space that her shoulder had occupied. Spinning round, Tenten found herself looking at the incoming blade.

CLANG!

Omoi's eyes widened as his thrust was deflected and he leapt backwards, looking at the new weapon in Tenten's hands.

"What is that thing?"

Tenten grinned as she stepped forwards, the short truncheon in her hands spinning while the weighted chains attached to each end whistled due to the speed they were going at. Omoi tentatively thrust his sword forwards, only for one of the end-weights to impact on it hard enough that it almost jerked out of his hands.

"My Kusari Fubo is a more than a match for your blade." Tenten gloated as Omoi slowly slid into a defensive posture, then her eyes widened as Omoi's blade started to glow and emit sparks. " _Raiton_. Oh hell."

Omoi stutter-stepped, whipping the blade round in a rising arc that left a trail of light. The lightning-augmented blade almost seemed to howl as it sliced through one of the chains of Tenten's weapon, then Omoi dropped prone to avoid the now-broken weapon as Tenten flung it at him while leaping backwards.

"Twin rising dragons!" Tenten shouted, pulling out a _second_ pair of prepared scrolls and Omoi's eyes widened in shock. Once again, the rain of kunai slashed down and Omoi vanished, leaving a log to take the brunt of the attack.

"Where did you go…" Tenten growled as she dropped to the ground, then she spun on the spot. The wires attached to the weapons briefly glinted as the kunai were jerked from the arena floor and sent hurtling into the copse of trees, slashing into it with such speed that several of the trees almost exploded into kindling.

"That should have… AAAAARGH!"

Tenten convulsed as lightning snapped through her body, then she collapsed, twitching and shaking as Omoi stepped out of the trees, releasing the wires that he had been holding in one hand as he used a piece of cloth to start dabbing at the multiple cuts on his head and shoulder. Walking up, he lightly placed the tip of his sword against Tenten's throat and glanced across at Shisui.

"As Tenten is no longer able to continue, the winner is Omoi of Kumo." Shisui announced.

.

"How did he do that?" Kankuro gasped and Hinata answered.

"He channeled _Raiton_ through the wires that she was holding, enough to disrupt her ability to move. If he had used more, he could have killed her."

The puppeteer whistled in amazement.

"Thank goodness you can't do that with _chakra_ threads."

.

Shisui watched as the medics loaded Tenten onto a stretcher and carried her out of the arena, then he turned to see Omoi rejoin Samui in the contestants box.

"The second match is Kankuro of Sunagakure against Yurei Ruto of Konohagakure. Please could both contestants come down?"

Hinata smiled as her _Byakugan_ caught the clone sprinting out to beside Shisui, then it _kawarimi_ 'd with Naruto even as Kankuro vanished down the stairwell.

"Ruto."

"Shisui-san."

"…the hell?" Kankuro said in shock as he emerged from the tunnel and spotted his opponent waiting for him.

"How kind of you to show up." Shisui smirked, earning a glower. "Please, take your places."

Naruto moved to Shisui's left and turned to face Kankuro, who unslung his bandage-wrapped package and placed it on the ground before putting his other hand on a scroll.

"Ready? Good." Shisui said. "Yurei Ruto of Konohagakure versus Kankuro of Sunagakure! Second match, fight!"

Kankuro unrolled the scroll with a snap and a cloud of chakra smoke marked the appearance of a six-armed puppet even as the bandage-wrapped package unraveled to reveal his four-armed puppet from the preliminaries. Naruto pulled out two scrolls and placed then on the ground, flicking them to cause them to unroll, revealing lines of seals.

.

"Smoke tags?" Hinata whispered in confusion. "What are you planning, and why all the clones?"

.

The unrolled scrolls exploded in a thick bank of cloud which quickly dissipated to reveal a long line of humanoid shapes. As the smoke finally cleared, Kankuro found himself facing fifty puppets of various designs, all of whom were moving.

And not just moving, some of them were moving to form a combat line, screening the others.

.

"Even Lady Chiyo can't control more than twenty puppets at once, and in combat she's limited to ten!" The Kazekage half-shouted. "How in blazes is that boy _doing_ that?"

.

Kankuro swallowed as he found himself seriously outnumbered. Just keeping that many puppets standing was a seriously non-trivial exercise, but managing to control them all enough to spread out _and_ take individual combat stances?

"Oh, fuck!" He whispered to himself as he sidled behind his puppets, then a thought occurred to him. A quick tug of chakra opened the six-armed-puppet's torso and Kankuro almost hurled himself into the revealed compartment and slammed it shut after him. A few seconds later, kunai blades emerged from all of the slots in the torso, preventing ingress while increasing the defenses of the puppet.

"Hah!" Kankuro shouted in triumph. "Safe! Now, watch _this_!"

Crow almost flew forwards, blades extending from its wrists while a long needle emerged from its mouth, the discolored metal indicating the presence of poison. The puppet raced towards Naruto, only to be intercepted and held by a dozen of Naruto's force.

"Dammit." Kankuro's voice cursed as Crow was quickly disassembled into its component pieces, and then the assembled puppets began moving towards Black Ant and its increasingly nervous cargo.

"Proctor?" Kankuro's voice echoed. "Ummmm, I forfeit?"

"Winner, Yurei Ruto." Shisui announced, then his eyes widened as Naruto's puppets vanished in clouds of chakra smoke. "What…?"

Shisui's shocked question was echoed (almost literally) by Kankuro.

" _Henge_ d _Kage Bunshin_." Naruto smirked under his mask. "I had them pretend to be puppets to freak Kankuro out."

"It worked, dammit." Kankuro grumped as he wriggled out of his hidey-hole. "I thought he was Sasori reborn or something."

.

"Yay, Ruto!" Hanabi cheered as the _kage youkai bunshin_ of Kurama balanced on her shoulders for a better view.

" **Nice one, kit!"** Kurama whispered from his perch on the girl's shoulders. **"Very sneaky!"**

.

"Interesting." The Kazekage said as he sat down. "You have some _very_ sneaky ninja, Hokage-san."

Itachi nodded slowly.

"I taught him well." He said, failing to hide his pride and from his seat, A looked at him.

"Him and that Hyuuga girl, right? Wasn't the third one the one who got knocked out by Samui?"

"After face-planting in her chest." Itachi confirmed and A started to chuckle.

"She kept rather quiet about that."

"Not surprising."

.

"Time for the third match." Shisui declared. "Please could Rock Lee of Konohagakure and Samui of Kumogakure make their way to the arena floor?"

"YOSH! Let our battle prove that our flames of youth burn brightly!" Lee exulted as he hurled himself off the balcony, landing lightly on the ground.

Samui paused to check that her high-necked wrapped top was securely fastened and not revealing even the slightest hint of cleavage before she strode down the stairs, pausing to let a grouchy Kankuro past, his one intact puppet carrying the disassembled remnants of the other.

"Good luck." Kankuro said as he passed by. "Those Leaf nin are _sneaky_."

"I saw." Samui said to his retreating back, then she squared her shoulders and finished her descent, emerging into the bright arena. Taking a covert deep breath, she strode towards the center of the field where the proctor and her opponent were waiting.

"Our third match is between two _kenjutsu_ specialists." Shisui announced as she drew to a halt before him. "Rock Lee of Konoha, user of paired katana, and Samui of Kumo, wielding a tanto. Are you both ready?"

Lee's hands blurred briefly as his swords seemed to materialize in them. Samui slowly reached behind her back and unsheathed her tanto, holding it in a classic defensive pose.

"Ready."

"YOSH! Let us show off our youthful skills!"

Shisui gave Lee a bank look, then she nodded.

"Match three… fight!"

Even as Shisui vanished, reappearing halfway to the wall, both genin moved, their blades catching the light as they launched their attacks. Samui's tanto briefly halted both of Lee's swords, then he spun in a move that forced Samui to leap away to avoid being stabbed.

"You are very skilled." Lee grinned as Samui recovered. "It is good to finally have a strong adversary."

"What the hell?" Karui screamed from the audience. "What the hell was _I_ then?"

Before Lee could answer, he found himself having to sway from side to side to avoid the high-speed series of stabs and thrusts being aimed at him, then suddenly he was past Samui, his blades held out to either side.

"You should surrender." He said as Samui's sleeves suddenly shredded.

"No, you should." Samui responded as Lee's top split from his right shoulder to his left hip. Lee looked down, then with a quick move, he sliced off his ruined shirt, leaving him bare-chested.

At the sight of his toned musculature, a chorus of fangirlish squeals echoed from the audience.

"Damn." Samui muttered as she quickly sliced off her shredded sleeves so that they would not tangle and slow her down. "You look like you've trained damn hard."

"I have spent many hours learning the art of the sword." Lee responded as he turned and took a new stance.

"It shows." Samui grumbled, then she lunged forwards, but quickly retreated. "Try this for size!"

Lee blinked as Samui started to make hand-seals, then suddenly he blurred to in front of her, his foot planting itself in her midsection and sending her flying. Despite the pain she was feeling, Samui managed to turn her flight into an airborne roll, landing on the ground and skidding twelve feet before coming to a stop.

"I have been trained to recognize the most common hand-seal sequences of _genjutsu_." Lee stated. "I am aware of my weaknesses, it was one of the lessons that my senseis taught me."

"Dammit. This is _not_ cool." Samui cursed as she finally straightened up.

.

" _Taijutsu_ as well?" A said in an impressed tone of voice. "Kid's got potential. He'll be a beast on the battlefield."

.

Samui blocked frantically, dodging the attacks that she couldn't parry. Only her sparring sessions with her sensei (who used up to _seven_ swords simultaneously) saved her. Even though Lee was using only two swords, his sheer speed and agility made it seem like he was using up to three times that number.

And he wouldn't stop grinning!

A line of pain on her arm indicated that he had somehow got through her guard and Samui disengaged in a whirl of blades, leaping away even as her spare hand pulled out a small roll of bandages. A practiced swipe of her blade cut off a length of bandage which she quickly wrapped around her upper arm, sealing it into place with a quick chakra pulse.

Opposite her, Lee had thrown one of his swords upwards and applied a similar bandage to the small cut on his chest which she had somehow managed to inflict, then he caught his sword as it dropped back down.

Samui bit back the urge to swear. He hadn't even been _watching_ his sword as he did that. The amount of training needed to reach that level was just insane.

Lee charged forwards, his swords moving so fast that they looked like metal fans winking in the light and Samui threw a trio of paper bombs in front of her. Lee emerged from the explosions slightly soot-streaked and Samui stiffened as Lee's swords punched straight through her belly and shoulder, then she vanished in a cloud of smoke, leaving a log impaled on the blades.

"Very clever, Samui-san." Lee whispered, then his muscles bulged as he ripped his swords out of the log, sending two arcs of splinters flying outwards. "Where are… _Arrrrgh_!"

" _Magen: Narakumi no Jutsu_." Samui panted triumphantly as she emerged from behind a fallen tree. "Thank you, Bee-sensei."

Lee grimaced as the illusion tried to draw him deeper, then he crouched and clenched his fists.

" _Kaimon!_ "

A sudden surge of chakra blasted out from Lee and Samui's eyes widened in shock as Lee straightened up and turned to face her.

"I took you too lightly." He said grimly. "Now, witness the power of youth!"

Samui barely managed to interpose her blade in front of the first attack, only to have it shatter as Lee's twin katana's sliced straight through it. Half a second later, Samui was launched into the air by a rising kick, then Lee seemed to vanish.

.

"What the…?" The Raikage gasped. "Did he just open the first Gate?"

"He did." Itachi agreed. "But surely simply inflicting pain upon himself should have been enough to dispel the _genjutsu_."

"It is." A said harshly. "But by opening the First Gate, he's made himself almost totally immune. Only a _sharingan_ can cast an illusion on someone using the first gate although using three means not even a _Mangekyo_ can successfully cast a _genjutsu. We_ found that out by accident during the Second Shinobi War."

"I… was unaware of that." Itachi admitted, earning a sideways glance from A.

.

Samui seemed to jerk in mid-air as she was pummeled by an opponent moving so fast that she couldn't even work out where he had been. A sickening _crack_ sounded as her leg bent in a direction that it shouldn't have been able to, then her left arm broke in three places before she slammed back onto the ground, unable to move or even think.

A shape blocked the light from her unseeing eyes as Shisui bent over her.

"Samui is currently unable to continue to fight. Therefore, the winner is Rock Lee."

"I would appreciate some medical attention myself." Lee admitted as the medical ninja ran towards them. "Although I only opened the first Gate, and not the four that I can open, I still took some damage that I would like to have treated before my next match."

Shisui nodded and stepped out of the way of the stretcher-bearers.

"Very well. There are going to be three matches until you are required to fight again. If you have not returned by that time, it will count as a forfeit."

"Understood, Shisui-san." Lee said with a bow and a slight wince, then he turned to follow the med-nin off the field.

Shisui watched them leave, then he turned his attention back to the crowd.

"Our next match shall be between Hozuki Suigetsu of Kirigakure and Gaara of Sunagakure. Could the two contestants please make their way to the arena floor?"

.

In a _genjutsu_ -shielded area atop the Hokage Mountain, a group of eight figures wearing black cloaks with red clouds stood on the lip of the cliff, watching over the hidden village.

"My agents have reported in, Pein-sama." Orochimaru said. "Their tunnels have reached the periphery of the Hyuuga clan compound while the summoning arrays have been completed as planned."

"Excellent." Pein said as he gazed at the distant arena. "I assume that your other preparations have been equally succesful?"

"They have." Orochimaru agreed. "The other clans will find themselves weakened, reducing Konoha's strength to the point where it will barely be able to defend itself."

"Our revenge has been long in coming, but now, the Red Dawn will cast its light across the nations." Pein said calmly.

.

Gaara appeared just in front of Shisui in a swirl of sand while Suigetsu seemed to materialize in a splash of water. The two teens exchanged glances, with Gaara frowning slightly at the sight of the large gourd that Suigetsu was carrying, a gourd superficially similar to his own.

"Take your position, gentlemen." Shisui commanded and the two teens backed away from each other until there were almost twnety paces between them.

"The fourth match between Hozuki Suigetsu of Kirigakure and Gaara of Sunagakure." Shisui announced as he took a couple of quick steps backwards. "Fight!"


	28. Finals (Part 3)

" _The fourth match between Hozuki Suigetsu of Kirigakure and Gaara of Sunagakure." Shisui announced as he took a couple of quick steps backwards. "Fight!"_

The cork of Gaara's gourd popped off as if it had been propelled by a blast of air and sand started to flow out of the gourd's mouth, cascading down to form a circle around Gaara.

"Nice trick." Suigetsu sneered as he reached down and twisted the valve of the tap set into his own gourd. "I can do something like that too."

A veritable river cascaded out of the tap, splashing around Suigetsu and forming a large puddle that slowly expanded. Suigetsu lowered his gourd to the ground and pulled out his dual weapon.

"Sand versus water. Let's see how you stand up to _me_ , raccoon boy!"

Gaara stood motionless, but his eyes narrowed slightly, then he thrust out one hand, causing a wave of sand to lash out and cover Suigetsu.

" _Sabaku Soso_." He stated, clenching his fist and the sand seemed to implode. However, instead of blood, water fountained out and splashed into the forming puddle, then Suigetsu seemed to reform as he rose from the rippling surface.

"That actually hurt." He said conversationally as Gaara stared at him.

"You… survived." Gaara said as if he had expected it.

.

"He survived?" The Kazekage said in shock and Mei released a musical giggle.

"He is from the Hozuki clan. Like his brother, he not only has control over water, but can turn himself into it, allowing him to heal instantly, or escape places that no-one else can escape from."

Standing behind Mei, Chojuro nodded in agreement, his gaze fixed on his team-mate.

.

"Let's have some _fun_!" Suigetsu laughed as his muscles seemed to bulge and expand while the puddle he was standing in lowered slightly, then he ran forwards. A wall of sand rose in front of him, but Suigetsu swung the maul portion of _Kabutowari_ into the wall, causing it to shatter and giving him an opening to attack through.

"Gotcha!"

The axe-blade carved straight through Gaara, causing him to disintegrate into a shower of sand and Suigetsu looked around in confusion.

"What the… where are you?"

"Here." Gaara said as he rose from what had appeared to merely be a random patch of sand. Around him, more sand fountained up and the gourd on his back suddenly cracked and disintegrated to add to his protections.

"Nice escape." Suigetsu allowed. "You prepared that without me realizing."

Gaara inclined his head in confirmation of Suigetsu's observation, then he ducked as another axe-blade sliced through where his neck had been.

.

" _Mizu Bunshin_." The Raikage noted. "How… appropriate."

"It does explain why he summoned the water." The Kazekage agreed as Mei smirked.

.

Gaara fired a salvo of sand-shiruken at the two Suigetsu's and they both collapsed in splashes of water before _another_ emerged from the still-growing puddle.

"You took down both my clones, although they were only a tenth as strong as me." Suigetsu said as he hefted his weapon again, then he charged forwards, swinging his axe high. A thick wall of sand surged up and the axe-blade embedded itself in it. Suigetsu smirked as he swung the maul and it struck the back of the axe, causing the sand wall to almost explode. Leaping through the gap, he swung the axe-blade in an overhead arc, bisecting Gaara and causing him to collapse into a pile of sand.

"What? Again?" Suigetsu cursed as he spun round, looking to see where his adversary had _kawarimi_ 'd to this time, then he swore as no less than _four_ Gaara's rose from different patches of sand. Leaping back to stand on the water, he summoned a new quartet of _Mizu Bunshin_ and then started to flicker through a series of hand-seals.

 _Ox, Monkey, Hare, Rat, Boar, Bird, Ox, Horse, Bird, Rat, Tiger_ …

The four clones drew their weapons and charged at the four Gaaras. The first one was met by a sand-spear through his gut, which caused him to dispel even as his axe-strike struck and dispelled the sand-Gaara.

 _Dog, Tiger, Snake, Ox, Ram, Snake, Boar, Ram, Rat, Yang Water, Monkey_ …

The second and third clones attacked simultaneously, one of them diving under the sand-spear to deliver a rising strike that cleaved its target from the crotch to the chest while the other switched his grip to the head of the axe and swung the maul round on its strap to slam into the _suna-bunshin_ , dispelling it.

 _Bird, Dragon, Bird, Ox, Horse, Ram, Tiger, Snake, Rat, Monkey, Hare, Boar_ …

The remaining Gaara raised his hand as the fourth clone charged towards him and a barrage of sand-kunai slashed outwards, catching the three remaining clones and dispelling them into sprays of water.

 _Dragon, Ram, Rat, Ox, Monkey, Bird, Yang Water, Rat, Boar, Bird_!

With a massive roar, the water around Suigetsu rose, forming into a long water dragon which uncoiled itself towards Gaara, colliding with him even through the wall that he erected in an attempt to stop it. Sent flying by the impact, Gaara skidded along the ground, coming to rest just by the wall.

"Ha!" Suigetsu gloated. "I win! Wha?!"

A sphere of sand formed around Suigetsu and Gaara emerged from a patch of sand beside it even as the clone by the wall collapsed.

"I have him trapped and his weapons restrained." Gaara droned. "The sphere is waterproof and airtight, meaning that he will suffocate if I do not release him."

Shisui nodded slowly, then glanced at the Kage box.

"The winner is Gaara of the desert! Gaara, please release your opponent."

The sand-sphere retracted and Suigetsu looked round at the cheering crowds before sighing.

"Dammit. I just lost, didn't I?"

"I'm afraid so." Shisui said, patting the younger man on the shoulder. "You were out-gambited."

"Dammit!" Suigetsu cursed, then he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply as he fought his anger down. "Sorry. Normally only Haku can beat me that fast. Actually… Haku's faster than that. Damned _Hyouton_ bloodlimit…"

Shisui shrugged and looked round, pausing as he saw the flowing sand forming into the gourd on Gaara's back. "If you two will please return to the contestants box and could Hyuuga Hinata and Yuki Haku please come down to the Arena?"

.

"Good luck." Naruto whispered as he hugged Hinata, then he stepped back. "Oh, find out Haku's gender, will you? It's been bugging me. And several others, as well."

"All right." Hinata giggled, then she gave her fiancee a quick kiss on his mask before half-running down the stairs.

"I find myself wondering if I will ever meet a girl as youthful as Hinata is." Lee said as he entered the box. "What did I miss?"

"Gaara beat Suigetsu by holding him in a sand-sphere." Naruto said with a slight shrug. "Gaara uses his sand for offense and defense as well as making sand-clones from it."

"Ah, so I need to ensure that I am attacking the correct target." Lee mused. "How does he use it offensively?"

.

Hinata looked at her opponent, who returned her gaze impassively as they splashed through one of the puddles left from the previous match, coming to a stop in front of Shisui.

"The final match of the first round!" Shisui announced. "Hyuuga Hinata of Konohagakure versus Yuki Haku of Kirigakure! Hinata, are you ready?"

Hinata activated her _byakugan_ , then blinked.

"How?"

Haku looked at her curiously and Hinata tried again.

"Your clothes… they block my vision…"

Haku smirked. "They are a special chakra-enhanced fabric that absorbs my chakra and uses it to counter any chakra-detecting _dojutsu_. It was quite expensive, but I believe that it was worth it."

.

"Damn." Hiashi cursed. "That fabric could spell the end of our _Jyuuken_."

"What do you mean, father?" Hanabi queried and Hiashi glared at the Kiri genin.

"If you cannot _see_ someone's tenketsu, how can you hit them?"

Hanabi's eyes widened in horrified realization.

.

"Now that we have that question answered, Haku, are you ready?" Shisui asked and Haku nodded, lifting one hand to the handle of the sword slung behind her shoulder. "Then… fight!"

" _Kaiten_!"

Hinata briefly vanished in a dome of chakra and only Haku's instinctive leap away kept Hinata from an instant victory, although the chakra dome caught Haku's foot, sending the genin cartwheeling through the air before landing with a roll that finished in a defensive stance.

"Nice move, but it's my turn."

Haku half-drew the Nuibari in one hand while making one-handed seals with the other. As a dozen mirrors rose out of various puddles around the arena, Hinata started to sprint towards her adversary.

"Not fast enough." Haku stated, stepping backwards into one of the mirrors and a moment later, all of the mirrors showed Haku's image.

"This is a variation of my most lethal technique." Haku said, re-sheathing the sword and pulling out senbon before preparing to throw them. "Let us see how long your _kaiten_ will protect you for."

Hinata dropped into a _Juho_ stance, then her hands started moving in blurring patterns, leaving almost-ghostly trails behind as chakra blades lashed out, intercepting the first barrage of senbon and causing them to disintegrate.

"What…?"

.

"The _Shugohakke Rokojuyon Sho_." Hiashi said with a proud smile briefly showing on his face.

"How long can sis keep doing that?" Hanabi wondered.

"Longer than the _Kaiten_." Hiashi admitted.

.

Hinata stood in the middle of the arena, her hands weaving the sphere of protection around herself as the senbon barrages struck uselessly. After a few minutes, the barrages ended and Hinata slowed, then lowered her arms.

"That is an amazing skill." Haku admitted, stepping out of the mirror that was furthest away from Hinata. "But how will you do against my ice blades?"

Haku's hands were briefly encased in fog before it dissipated, revealing a trio of ice blades extending from the back of each hand. Haku sprinted forwards, then leapt into the air, somersaulting to slash the claws through any possible block.

In a blur of movement, Hinata sidestepped Haku's attack and spun round, delivering a powerful reverse kick to Haku's shoulder.

.

"That wasn't _Juho_!" Hanabi gasped and Hiashi nodded.

"I believe that it was _hebi_ -style. Hinata's training with Anko-san seems to have been rather successful."

.

Haku broke contact and retreated rapidly, watching Hinata warily.

"That is a very powerful style you have."

Hinata nodded briefly in acknowledgement, then her eyes narrowed as Haku re-entered the ice mirrors and drew Nuibari from its sheath.

"I apologize, but I will not lose to you."

Even as Hinata began to start her defensive technique, Haku seemed to blur past her a dozen times, then Hinata was jolted into the air, held suspended by the wire that pierced her clothing in a dozen places. Haku stood in front of her, holding the sword a half-foot from her heart.

"You cannot move. Please surrend… urk!"

Hinata's kimono flapped in the breeze as Hinata somersaulted out of it to regain her mobility, kicking Haku in the stomach as she did so.

.

Hiashi facepalmed as the Hyuuga around him started gasping about Hinata's lack of modesty, her choice of non-traditional skintight undergarments and unbecoming actions not befitting one who used to be the heir to the clan.

"Will Haku have to do that as well?" Hanabi asked, her face a study in innocent confusion as Kurama fell to the ground, almost crying with laughter.

.

Haku gasped for air, then simply gasped as Hinata's hands glowed with chakra, chakra that formed into the shape of lions heads.

"My newest technique, _Juho Shoshiken_." Hinata announced, then she dashed forwards, bringing her left hand round in an arc that sent Haku flying backwards. Pursuing the tumbling genin, she launched a powerful uppercut which sent Haku high into the air. Haku's eyes widened as Hinata took position below, ready to launch another attack, then Haku's hand snapped out, sending the Nuibari slicing through the air.

.

"Clever." Zabuza smirked, earning confused looks from the other Jonin-sensei.

.

The Nuibari slammed into the wall and Haku's plummet turned into a swing, using the wire attached to Nuibari's hilt. The arc took Haku straight into an ice mirror and Hinata cursed as Haku's image appeared in all the mirrors once again.

"You are as fearsome as I expected." Haku said. "I begin to understand why Jiraiya of the _Densetsu no Sannin_ fears you."

.

Jiraiya facepalmed.

"Dammit! I'm _never_ going to live that down, am I?"

.

Hinata growled and then suddenly dived as a blur passed through where she had been standing. A twanging noise announced the sudden tightening of the ninja wire tied to Nuibari, pulling the sword out of the wall and returning it to Haku's waiting hand. An instant later, Hinata was surrounded by the blurs of Haku's movement, then she crashed to the ground, wrapped up in so much wire that she almost resembled a mummy.

"I believe that _this_ time, I win." Haku said and Hinata managed to nod.

"I cannot fight any more, so I yield."

"Winner, Haku." Shisui declared as he materialized by Hinata. "Hey, Ruto, come and grab your fiancee."

A puff of smoke marked Hinata's translocation via _Toton Bunshin_ out of the wire bindings and to the contestant's box, where Naruto unsealed a blanket and draped it over Hinata. Shisui shrugged.

"That works too, I suppose."

Haku giggled slightly and Shisui looked at the victorious genin.

"You may as well head up also. Grab some rest before your next match. There will be a twenty minute break before the next round of combat! Snacks are on sale!"

.

Hinata smiled as one of Naruto's clones appeared with a pile of folded clothes in its arms. As Naruto and his clone held up the blanket to provide a corner of privacy, Hinata quickly pulled on the new clothes, breathing a sigh of relief once she was fully clad once more.

"I'm dressed."

Naruto lowered the blanket, then passed his end to his clone to fold up.

"You realise that you won't hear the end of that?" He whispered and Hinata blushed furiously.

"If it had worked, it wouldn't have mattered, although I'll need to get my kimono repaired." She managed to counter and Naruto nodded, then glanced over at the lollipop-sucking swordsman.

"I'm up against Omoi next, then Haku. That could be difficult."

"You'll need to use your bloodlimit." Hinata nodded. "If Haku doesn't know where you are, then… he? she? can't target you."

"I might get lucky, like I did in Wave." Haku noted and Hinata inhaled sharply.

"That was _you_?"

"I was aiming for Zabuza-sama at the time!" Haku protested quickly, backing away from Hinata's glare. "Hitting Ruto-san was an accident!"

.

"An excellent first round." A said, leaning back in his chair as he flexed his shoulders. "You have some very resourceful genin."

"I admit to being disappointed with Kankuro," The Kazekage said slowly, "But given the situation that he was in… that level of trickery might have had me worried as well."

"Your other son was quite impressive." Mei allowed as she took a sip from a glass filled with iced fruit juice. "I thought that Suigetsu was almost as undefeatable as his brother Mangetsu."

"I've heard about him…" A mused and Mei nodded.

"He used to use the _Hiramekerai_ but as he learned to use all seven of the swords, he now wields the _Shibuki_."

"He is the co-leader of the Seven Swordsmen, is he not?" Itachi queried and Mei nodded.

"He deals with the more political aspects and mission selection while Zabuza does the training and day-to-day leadership." Mei said.

"A member of the Hozuki clan holding a sword called _Splash_." A snorted. "Nice. You got the lightning swords back yet? How about the sharksword?"

"We are still missing those." Mei said heavily. "We have a reward out for them."

Itachi pulled out a Kiri Bingo Book from one of his pockets and quickly riffled through the pages.

"It looks like _Samehada_ is held by the nukenin Hoshigaki Kisami while the _Kiba_ swords are in the possession of Kurosuki Raiga."

"Kisami? The _Biju Without a Tail_?" the Kazekage asked curiously. "You will have a hard time reclaiming _that_ sword."

Mei shrugged slightly, then helped herself to a piece of fruit from the platter on the small table beside her chair.

"I have great faith in my hunter-nin. We will get the sword back eventually."

.

Naruto paused in the middle of his conversation and pulled off his mask to let him rub his eyes. When he looked up, the sight was still there.

"Hinata… can you use your _Byakugan_ to look over there?"

Hinata activated her dojutsu, then her eyes widened.

"What… how…"

"What is happening?" Lee asked, walking over and then he gasped as he looked at the thing Hinata was pointing at. "What in the name of the thousand Kami's is that? And how is it staying up there?"

"I have no idea." Naruto admitted as they were joined by Omoi.

"Is that normal for Konoha?"

"No." Hinata said. "Ruto-kun, can you send a clone for Shisui?"

"No need, I'm here." Shisui said as he materialized behind them. "Now, that are you all looking… what the heck? How is a person standing in mid-air above the… Uchiha… Oh fuck!"

Even as he swore, Shisui vanished, leaving the genin staring at the odd sight.

.

"Itachi! We have a problem!"

Itachi turned and fixed his cousin with a quelling glare, then his eyebrows rose as he noted the worry on Shisui's face.

"What is it?"

"There's a man standing in mid-air right above the Uchiha district and he's gathering a _load_ of chakra! The last time I saw _that_ much chakra was when the Kyuubi attacked!"

"Excuse me." Itachi said to the other Kages, then he _shunshin_ 'd onto the roof, his eyes quickly moving to the cloaked figure. "Black cloak with red clouds… I _know_ that I've heard about a group using that style of clothing…"

"Akatsuki." Jiraiya said as he landed just next to him. "A group of S-ranked missing nin…"

"The group that Naka joined after he defected." Itachi realized. "But what is that one doing?"

"Something's happening!" Shisui warned, then a voice echoed across the village.

" **SHINRA TENSEI!** "


	29. Assault

Afterwards, no-one was able to reconstruct the series of events with any real accuracy.

.

" _SHINRA TENSEI!"_

A huge pulse of energy seemed to erupt downwards from the hovering figure, causing the ground to shake and knocking everyone in Konoha off their feet. A moment later, a massive cloud of debris and flames rose from the Uchiha district.

.

"The hell?" Ko gasped, transfixed by the flame-shot cloud even as the ringing of the quake-dislodged path-side bells inside the Hyuuga compound died down.

"I have no idea." His fellow-guard said. "But whatev… _urk_!

Ko dived as another arrow slashed through the space that had been occupied by his windpipe even as the now-deceased Hyuuga fell backwards, colliding with the hinged panel by the gate. The resulting clangor sparked shouts of alarm, followed by the sounds of combat within the walls.

Ko didn't have any time to worry about it as he found himself facing a red-headed girl with chakra-infused tattoos and a flute.

Even as he rose into a _Jyuuken_ stance, activating his _Byakugan_ wordlessly, she lifted the flute to her lips and began to play.

.

Uchiha Naka laughed as he leapt into the wreckage-filled crater that had once been the Uchiha district and quite a bit of the surrounding area. Unsheathing his tanto, he quickly thrust it through the heart of an injured woman who was trying to dig someone out of the pile of debris that had once been a house. A second thrust killed the trapped child and Naka moved on to find more victims to slaughter. Behind him, Orochimaru checked the eyes of the bodies, then moved towards the sound of sobbing, pulling out a kunai as he did so.

.

In five different warehouses, groups of ninja bearing the sign of a musical note on their hitai-ates channeled chakra into fuuinjutsu arrays that had been meticulously drawn on the wooden floors. Seconds later, the warehouses exploded as giant snakes erupted through the roofs, intent on causing as much devastation as possible. The arcing debris alone was enough to spark panic amidst the civilians, the presence of the snakes enhanced that panic to uncontrollable levels.

Over a hundred and fifty civilians were killed in the resulting stampede.

.

"Get the civilians into the shelters!" Itachi shouted as he _shunshin_ 'd back into the Kage box, the seals picking up and magnifying his orders. "All available chunin protect the civilians! All _Uchiha no Mangekyo_ target the intruders! Jiraiya, target the snakes! Jonin, attack the enemy!"

The Raikage stood up and flexed his muscles as Darui pulled his sword, twisting it so that the blade unfolded and locked in place. "I'll take the three-headed snake. It's been a while since I had a decent workout. Bee, cover my back. Yugito, help out here."

"You got it, bro!"

"Hai, A-sama!"

The Kazekage stepped forwards, gold dust billowing from his sleeves as dark rings formed around his eyes.

"I will aid with the evacuation."

"Count me in as well." Mei said as Chojuro drew his sword and began charging it with chakra.

.

Ko almost smirked as his _byakugan_ helped to pierce the odd _genjutsu_ that the flute-player was using. Lunging forwards, he struck at her, causing her to abandon her _genjutsu_ as she tried to dodge.

"How the fuck did you avoid my illusion?"

"It relied on the music you were playing, correct?" Ko asked almost conversationally as he launched another series of strikes. "Well, I'm totally tone-deaf. I guess that means I'm naturally immune."

"Fuck!" The red-head cursed as she used her flute to block another strike. "Why the hell did I end up fighting a shithead like you?"

Ko launched another series of attacks, then leapt backwards as a huge figure landed where he had been standing.

"Tayuya, what's taking you so long?"

"Jirobi! Smash this hithead! He's immune to my _genjutsu_!"

The new arrival snarled as he clenched his fists.

"You're gonna get flattened, blank-eyes!"

.

The figure that had destroyed almost a quarter of Konoha turned and floated towards the arena which was rapidly emptying as the genin guided the civilians out. As it landed, a second figure arced through the air to land beside it,then a cloud of smoke engulfed them, clearing to reveal that they had been joined by another four.

"You will explain yourselves." Itachi growled and one of the cloaked men looked at him with silvery rippled eyes.

"The _rin'negan_!" Sarutobi gasped from his position flanking Itachi. "Jiraiya described it to me once, one of his pupils in Amegakure had it, but they were all killed by Hanzo."

"And why attack us now?" Itachi ground out, earning a long look.

"We have our reasons. We are here to humble Konoha. You have thrived on your reputation as the strongest for too long and it is time for that to end."

"Who are you?" Mei asked sweetly and the man gazed at her without any sign of emotion.

"I am Pein. _We_ are Pein, the _true_ god of Shinobi. Through us, peace will be brought to the world."

"By killing everyone who stands in your way?" Sarutobi growled and the lead Pein tilted his head slightly.

"If you do not stand with us, you stand against us. We are the future and when the time comes, we shall step forth to claim that which is ours, and you will not stop us."

A green blur dashed forwards and the lead figure held out one hand.

"Shinra tensei."

A blast of energy sent Maito Gai smashing through one of the arena walls, then another of the six clapped his hands. A massive cloud of smoke formed and dissipated to reveal a giant chameleon, one with a bandage that wrapped around the stump of the right horn on its head, the right eye missing and the other eye replaced by a _rin'negan_. The chameleon reared up, then a massive staff smashed into it, sending it reeling backwards as a giant boot slammed down.

"I got this one!" Akamichi Chouza rumbled and he advanced towards his summoned adversary, kicking it through the side of the stadium.

"Thank goodness for Akamichi kinjutsu." Sarutobi muttered to himself, then he ducked under a rocket that had been fired by one of the six, one who had shed his cloak to reveal that he had six arms, one of which had extended to launch the rockets and was retracting.

"The _hell_?" The Kazekage mused as he used his gold dust to deflect the looping rockets. "That's Takama! He went missing a dozen years ago, but I _know_ he didn't have those four extra arms, those piercings or those eyes."

"Dodge!"

Everyone either dived for cover or _shunshin_ 'd out of the way of a blast of energy.

"Shisui!" Itachi shouted and his cousin appeared beside him. "Summon any Jonin not engaged in combat and get Nara Shikaku here as…"

"I'm here." The Jonin Commander said. "Interesting, the one on the left just reacted to an attack that he could not have seen unless he had the _Byakugan_ , but since he has the _rin'negan_ …"

"You know about it?"

"I am the Jonin Commander." Nara said almost reproachfully. "It is part of my job to research all the Kekkei Genkei that Konoha may be able to gain and as such, I _know_ from Jiraiya's report that the _rin'negan_ does _not_ grant an expanded field of view. No, something else is happening…"

A massive fireball launched by the Uchiha fizzled out as one of the six moved to intercept it. A moment later, black flames engulfed the figure, only for them to fade as well.

"Impossible!" Fugaku yelled as Naori wiped the blood from her eye. "That was _Amaterasu_! It burns for a full week!"

"Keep attacking." Nara said with a frown. "There's something _off_ here and I need more information."

.

Iruka snarled as he stabbed another attacker through the eyeball, killing her. He didn't recognize the origin of the symbol on their Hitai-ates, but it had become obvious almost immediately that anyone wearing a musical note symbol was an enemy and needed to be killed.

 _No-one_ would harm his newest class of students.

Enemy Chunin, Jonin or Kage, none of them would be allowed to pass.

Another Oto nin leapt at him, only to jolt to a stop in mid-air and collapse with his throat slit open.

"Boss sent us to help you, Iruka-sensei!" A familiar voice said and Iruka grinned.

"Good to have you, Ruto!"

.

Shikamaru grunted as he used his shadow to immobilize a trio of Oto nin, then the street seemed to shake as Choji rolled down it, flattening the three.

"Come on!" Ino shouted as she chivvied the panicking civilians into the shelter. "We don't have time for you two to play around!"

"Troublesome blond." Shikamaru groaned as he and Choji moved towards her.

.

Sasuke paused in the exit, then he turned round to get a glimpse of his brother. Just as he turned, he saw his father stabbed through the heart by a black metal blade.

"Faaatheeerrrrr!"

Sasuke's eyes flashed red, the tomoes blending and twisting to form around three overlapping red ellipses. Things his brother had spoken about flashed through his mind and he fixed his gaze on the enemy who was holding back, positioned behind the other five.

" _Amaterasu_!"

The figure jolted as the black fire engulfed it and Sasuke collapsed, his eyes returning to their normal black as the world faded out for him.

.

The five Peins froze as their final member collapsed, flesh burning away and Nara nodded.

"They're mind-linked, like that kinjutsu Inoichi told me about." He announced. "What one sees, they all see, but they each seem to have different abilities!"

Three of the Peins turned to glare at Nara and he stepped back.

"Troublesome…"

One of the Peins suddenly punched out, causing a cloud of chakra smoke to appear.

"Interesting…"

.

A smirked as he and Bee performed their signature move on the third head of the three-headed snake, ripping it's neck apart and _finally_ sending the beast back to the summons realm.

"This is bad, Konoha's hit/ They're gonna be down for quite a bit.  
"The Uchihas are gone, because of this Pein/ Ah tell ya things won't be the same."

"You got that right, little bro." A said as he absently back-handed an attacking Shinobi, sending the shattered body through a nearby wall. "Unless we stomp on that wrinkled dwarf, we could be looking at the Fourth Shinobi War as he tries to take revenge. And we need the money that peace brings us."

The ground shook as Akamichi Chouza crashed through a couple of buildings before shrinking back to his regular size. A looked at the thing that had knocked out the clan head.

"That is a damned big ox."

"A great big ox with fur of brown/ I'll go horn to horn and take it down!  
"Time to fight, to be real bold/ Time to use… Tailed Beast Mode!"

A leaped away as Bee vanished in a rush of chakra, then a giant ox as large as the summoned one appeared, an ox with eight tentacles instead of its tail. The new Ox growled, then charged forwards, meeting its rival with a crash that sent shock-waves through some of the nearby buildings.

"Dammit, Bee!" A roared. "Keep the damage _down_!"

.

Naruto swore as he found himself face-to-face with a giant snake. What was worrying him was that it somehow knew where he was, even though he was fully invisible, he had memories of it purposefully crushing over a dozen of his clones as it rampaged through the fleeing civilians.

" **What do we have here? A tasty little morsel, hmmmm? Prepare to die!"**

" _Kuchyose no jutsu_!"

.

Hinata stood in the main entrance to the shelter, her hands blurring while behind her, several chunin struggled to undo the sabotage that kept the door open.

"Dieeeee!"

An Oto-nin lunged forwards, thrusting his kunai forwards as he tried to penetrate her shield. The whipping chakra blades sliced through the kunai, turning it into scrap metal and the Oto-nin had just enough time for his eyes to open wide in shock before his momentum carried him to his death.

Hinata concentrated as hard as she could on keeping her technique going, trying to ignore the blood and shredded flesh spattering her.

Although she would _need_ her snuggly afterwards.

.

" **Manda."**

The giant purple snake paused in the face of the new arrival.

" **Lord Shiromari?"**

The chakra cloud coalesced into the form of a giant chameleon with horns like a crown. **"What are you doing here?"**

" **I was summoned to help destroy this place."** Manda said and Shiromari looked round.

" **This… is Konoha. Home of my summoner."**

Manda gulped and tried to look as innocent as possible.

" **We will discuss this at Ryuchi cave. Now!"**

Shiromari vanished in a cloud of chakra and Manda looked down at Naruto before also vanishing. Naruto grinned, then spun round and threw his hand out. A long, almost transparent chain of chakra lanced out and speared an attacking Oto-nin to the wall.

.

Orochimaru looked round at the wreckage with a grin as he placed the container holding several sets of Sharingan eyes at various degrees of development into a storage scroll, then he began pulled out a trio of scrolls. Laying them flat, he unrolled them, revealing highly complex seals which seemed to writhe before expanding to cover the ground.

With a frown of concentration, Orochimaru used the tiger, snake, dog and dragon hand-seals before clapping his hands and a trio of coffins rose from the center of the seals. As the coffins settled into place, Orochimaru smirked, then he triggered a chakra pulse that opened all three coffins and caused a body to crash to the ground.

"Huh? Oh, looks like Mina-kun won't be joining in." Orochimaru sighed, glancing at the bound and drugged kunoichi lying in front of the open coffin. Pulling out a pair of kunai with tags on them, he stepped forwards and inserted the kunai into the backs of the heads of the other two figures, causing their skin to turn from cracked and grey to smooth and healthy.

"Shodai, Nidaime." He smirked and the two men looked at him. "Your orders are simple. This village you once ruled… attack it. Destroy the Tower and the hospital first, then do general damage until the village is flattened or I release the technique. Go!"

Both men seemed to vanish in blurs of motion and Orochimaru strode away without sparing a glance for the kunoichi he left behind.

.

Kurama snarled as he leapt through the air. The Oto nin who was about to kill a civilian woman never even saw the nine tails that pierced him, killing him instantly.

" **Get to a shelter, now!** " Kurama snarled at the woman before he leapt towards another group of Oto-nin. As he did so, a thought suddenly occurred to him.

' _Dammit, I'm helping to protect Konoha? I'll never hear the end of this… then again, it should be good for a year's worth of belly rubs and daily grooming from Hanabi-chan…'  
_ '… _when the hell did I start thinking about her as_ –chan _?'_

.

The bull with the _rin'negan_ eyes crashed to the ground and dispelled. The tentacled ox roared in triumph, then shimmered and contracted until Killer Bee was standing amidst the shattered buildings.

"Yeah, I'm good, ah'm mista eight/ When it comes to combat, Ah'm real great!"

"Bee!"

Bee flinched and turned in time to see A slam punch a white-haired ninja through a wall. A moment later, the ninja re-emerged, pulling a bone-sword out of his shoulder as he snarled in irritation.

"Eurgh, so not cool." Bee winced as he moved to stand by his brother. "Wow, I'm sounding like Samui-chan!"

.

Rock Lee, Uzuki Yugao and Gekko Hayate spun and sliced through the Sound-nin attack squad like a well-oiled machine of destruction. Whenever one of them blocked an attack, one of the other two was there to strike the attacker down. Within moments, the twenty attacking nin were all dead or disabled and the sword trio paused, looking round.

"So… where to next?" Yugao asked, just as an armoured, white-haired figure landed before them, turning to reveal brown eyes with black sclera.

"That… that looks like Senju Tobirama…" Rock Lee gasped as their new adversary drew his sword. "But his eyes…"

"You aren't a Jonin, so you haven't read the secret histories." Yugao said as she dropped into a combat stance. "That _is_ Tobirama revived… but he's under someone else's control."

"Which makes him an enemy." Hayate finished. "We need to hold him until reinforcements arrive, but I don't think we'll survive this."

"Then it is time." Lee said without his usual grin. " _Kaimon_ , _Kyumon_ , _Seimon_ , _Shomon_!"

A veritable wave of chakra exploded from Lee, then he suddenly blurred past Tobirama, slicing off his arm. Tobirama glanced at the stump, then the three Konoha ninja stared wide-eyed as the arm regenerated, reforming as if it had never been lost.

"Oh hell." Yugao muttered as she adjusted her grip. "This isn't good."

.

The Kazekage sent another wave of golden dust into the air, intercepting and crushing the poisoned shuriken that were being thrown at the children he had volunteered (much to his own bemusement) to protect. A wave of sand suddenly crashed over the roof that the enemy shinobi were holding and the Kazekage smiled grimly at the sight of the fountains of blood.

"Well done, my son."

"Yaaaaaaaaah!"

The Kazekage lashed out with his magnet release, pinning the attacker to the wall via his armor.

"How dare you!" The Sound nin shouted. "I am the mighty Viyjai and I am going to- _glurk_!"

The Kazekage turned away, allowing the gold coating his fist to dissipate back into dust. Behind him, a piece of wood separated from the top of the newly-created hole in the wall and fell, striking the barely-conscious ninja in a very painful place.

"… _ow_ …"

"That was _awesome_! Was that _Jiton_?" gasped a kid wearing on odd skullcap-helmet. "You're cooler than gramps is!"

The Kazekage blinked. "What?"

Before the boy could reply the sound of tearing wood echoed across the village.

.

Orochimaru looked round with a frown as the remaining giant snakes all vanished at once.

Absently decapitating an attacking Konoha nin, he shrugged. He always knew that Jiraiya was gifted in _Fuinjutsu_ , his old team-mate must have done something to send all of his summons back at once.

It was something to keep in mind the next time that he met the white-haired fool.

.

" _Mokuton Hijutsu: Jukai Kōtan_!"

Senju Hirashima stood in front of the collapsing tower with his hands in the snake seal as branches smashed through the walls of the Hokage tower, winding and fusing until a giant tree rose from the foundations, some of its branches and roots lancing out through the Academy wing. After several minutes, the tree stopped growing and Hirashima looked up at it, his eyes briefly resting on the circular sign for _Fire_ that had been mounted on the side of the tower and was now held between two curling branches.

His first task done, he turned towards the distant hospital, then his head bounced onto the floor and was encased in ice as his body fell backwards, disintegrating as it did so until a wave of dust hit the ground.

"Good work, Haku." Zabuza said as he balanced his sword across his shoulders.

"Thank you Zabuza-sama. What shall we do with him?"

"Give him to the tree-huggers. He's too dangerous to be taken to Kiri. Mei would kill me if I accidentally let him turn her office into a giant bonsai. Then again, it might solve her paperwork problem…"

Haku giggled at Zabuza's joke as the duo walked away, Hirashima's frozen head in Haku's arms.

.

"Tobi is here to take you back. Tobi will help, Tobi is a good boy!"

Orochimaru managed to not roll his eyes as the hanger-on of the Akatsuki bounded up to him. Although Tobi's teleportation trick was incredibly useful, he still didn't understand why Pein protected the masked idiot.

"What about the others?"

"Tobi has already taken Naka back and Tobi will come back for Pein-Sama. Do you want Tobi to rescue anyone else?"

Orochimaru paused just long enough to send a chakra-pulse telling his five elite bodyguards to retreat, then he shook his head.

"No, the others are simply weapons and might as well die here. In doing so, they will weaken Konoha, and there are always more where they came from. Let us depart."

"Okidoki!" Tobi chirped as the two of them vanished in a strange swirling void.

.

Tobirama paused, his blade just drawing blood above Lee's heart, then he disintegrated.

"…what the hell just happened?" Hayate moaned as he finished bandaging his side.

.

Asuma screamed in agony as the energy blast fired by the six-armed Pein severed his left leg, almost disintegrating the lower portion of it. A second blast missed him by a mere fraction of an inch, then the five remaining Peins suddenly vanished in a whirling void.

"…what just happened?" Itachi slowly asked and Hiruzen shrugged as he finished binding the stump of his left arm, then he pulled himself to his feet.

"I don't know. I _think_ that they had achieved their goal, whatever it was…"

Itachi looked around, then his gaze settled to Shisui, who was walking towards him with Sasuke's body in his arms.

"Is he…?"

"Alive." Shisui confirmed. "But, cousin, he has a _Mangekyo_ …"


	30. Aftermath

Itachi gazed out almost meditatively through the gap that would eventually become a proper window.

The tree that the temporarily-reincarnated Senju Hirashima had grown had indeed destroyed the old Hokage tower, but had simultaneously created a new one.

The inside of the tree was honeycombed with passages, staircases, air vents and even working bathrooms, proof of Hirashima's ability to follow his instructions and seriously subvert them at the same time. The main branches had odd flat ridges on them that would allow more rooms to be added simply by placing floors between adjacent branches while the smaller branches were generally well-positioned to support walls or balconies.

At the top of the tree, the branches had grown in an odd, interwoven spiral pattern creating the oval room that Itachi was standing in. The roof consisted of a wooden dome with gaps perfect for skylights, supported by a dozen branch-pillars, creating an office space that was almost breathtaking.

Unfortunately, Konoha as a whole had suffered greatly.

"I have the reports."

Itachi nodded to Sarutobi and glanced at his wooden left hand curiously. Sarutobi followed his gaze and smiled self-consciously.

"A puppet arm taken as a trophy in the last great war. I studied the basics of Suna-style puppetry when I was younger, but it never really appealed to me, until now."

"And Asuma?"

"He's learning how to use a puppet leg." Hiruzen shrugged. "It is fortunate that he always had superior chakra control, but it'll take him a while to get back to combat-ready. I'd recommend placing him as a teacher in the Academy for a few months."

Itachi nodded and moved to the desk that dominated the room. Waving for Sarutobi to sit, he accepted the folder.

"Do you have a summary?"

"It isn't good." Hiruzen said. "I expect you already know about your clan's status…"

" _Five_ of us left." Itachi growled. "Shisui, Sasuke and myself with the _Mangekyo_ and two without eyes thanks to that bastard Orochimaru. And Naka, but he does not really count"

"The Hyuuga lost a dozen to an attack, but they killed over forty attacking ninja in return. The other clans were also hit, but none of them too seriously.

"Our shinobi forces, however, got hammered. We are currently down to half of our usual active strength, although we should get up to two-thirds once the lightly-wounded finish recuperating. The Hospital survived, but we lost quite a few doctors. The civilian casualties are still being compiled."

"We need Tsunade." Itachi declared, then he sighed. "We need Tsunade, and not just for her medical skills. We need the second _Sannin_ back."

"Jiraiya's organisation can help to find her, but convincing her to return…"

"She _will_ return." Itachi frowned. "Even if I have to threaten to place her in the Bingo Book as a missing nin. I'll have to send Jiraiya after her…"

"I'd suggest sending Ruto and Hinata as well."

Itachi sat down and steepled his fingers. "It would be a good first chunin mission for them, but I would like to hear your reasoning."

"Between Ruto's _Toton Bunshin_ and Hinata's _Byakugan_ , they should be able to find Tsunade fairly quickly once Jiraiya gets them to her general location. When you consider that Ruto's _Kekkei Genkai_ is a medical marvel that should catch Tsunade's attention and that Hinata can help to restrain her if she gets violent, I think that those two would be the best to recover my wayward student."

Itachi nodded. "I agree. Once the other Kage's have departed, I shall send them on their way."

A noise interrupted him and he turned as the twelve genin and their senseis filed in.

"Excellent, you are here." Itachi said. "Although the exams were interrupted, several of you proved yourself enough to be promoted. Yurei Ruto, Hyuuga Hinata and Rock Lee, please step forwards."

The three genin did so and Itachi accepted three Chunin jackets from Hiruzen.

"You have proven yourselves worthy of promotion at this time. Congratulations.

The other genin started to applaud, as did their Jonin-senseis from behind them.

"Inuzuka Kiba, Team Gai is now lacking one member and you are the only member of Team 7 remaining. I am therefore transferring Team Gai to fill the spaces in Team 7. I am certain that you will do your best to get along with your new team-mates."

Kiba nodded, then _glurk_ ed as Maito Gai pulled him into a hug.

"Yosh! I shall do my best to help you fan your flames of youthfulness into a veritable conflagration like those of my apprentice Rock Lee!"

"Hokage-sama…" Tenten asked quietly, "Why turn us into the new Team 7?"

"Because Team 7 is one of the most well-known teams in Konoha." Itachi replied just as quietly. "Every Hokage except the Shodai has links to Team 7. The first was led by Senju Tobirama and his student Hiruzen led the second iteration, the _Densetsu no Sannin_ , before becoming Hokage. Jiraiya trained Namikaze Minato in the third iteration, who in turn led the fourth, of which only Hatake Kakashi still lives."

"And you led the fifth version." Tenten nodded. "I see. I'll… _We'll_ try to do you proud, Hokage-Sama."

" _Gai-sensei_! _Air_!"

.

"Well," A smirked, "It's been interesting."

"Know that we will still uphold our end of the treaty between us." The Kazekage said. "No matter who you face."

"It won't be us." Mei said with a slight scowl marring her features. "Those… _Akatsuki_ are a threat. If they can hit Konoha like this…"

"I'll have a transport stone sent over." A said. "Every other day, whatever's on that stone will be transported to Kumo, where we will copy it and send it to the others. It's how we communicate with our border posts."

"Are you not afraid that we might reverse-engineer it?" Itachi asked and A laughed.

"Hah! Since it relies on a _Kekkai Genkai_ unique to Kumo, you're welcome to try. While we may pick up some of your missions, we'll make sure that your border with us is secure."

"Same here." Mei nodded. "Besides, I owe you for sending Zabuza-kun back."

Behind her, the aforementioned swordsman growled slightly as two of his Genin hid their smirks.

"The eyes that Pein had… they were the _rin'negan_ , weren't they?"

"They were." Itachi confirmed. "Jiraiya once trained a user of the _rin'negan_ in Amegakure, I believe that he was called Uzumaki Nagato, but he and the other two had been reported to have died at the hands of Hanzo the Salamander."

"Incredible." The Kazekage mused. "I thought that the only user of the _rin'negan_ was the Sage of the Six Paths and that it died with him. To have two more users confirmed…"

"I am having sketches of the six Peins made." Itachi said. "As one of them has already been identified by the Kazekage, we may be able to determine who the others are, or were, and from that discover how they came to become Pein."

"A good move." Mei nodded. "May I request a transport stone as well?"

"I'll have one sent to each of you." A said. "Itachi, when your Jinchuuriki comes of age, send him to us and I'll have Bee train him fully in how to work _with_ his Biju. Now, I gotta get going. Good luck."

Without any further words, A turned and strode off, his ninja following him. Bee paused to fist-bump Sasuke before running to catch up with his brother.

"That was abrupt." Mei said, then she shrugged. "Well, we need to be going as well. I hope that Mangetsu has managed to hold things together."

"I must also take my leave." The Kazekage said. "I wish you luck with rebuilding."

.

"Gaki, the ink is ready, and so am I." Jiraiya said as he finished setting up his equipment before donning the special visor that let him see Naruto. "Once your chakra starts flowing through it, it'll turn invisible. It'll take a few days to fully stabilize, then it'll start filling the reservoirs. I don't know how to actually activate their _bunshin_ though…"

"I'll figure it out." Naruto smiled. "I've found them in my own mindscape now, I don't need Bee-sama's help to locate them any more."

Hinata watched as her fiancee shed his top, then she reached out and took his hand, earning a quizzical look form Jiraiya.

"Hinata made her first kill yesterday." Naruto said quietly. "Apparently it was… messy."

"I remember my first kill." Jiraiya said soberly. "Hiruzen-sensei took me out drinking afterwards so that I could cry properly. I assume she held onto you all night?"

Naruto nodded while Hinata blushed.

"Good. Keep doing that. Being close to a loved one is the best therapy there is. Now, lie down and _don't move_. This could take a while."

Looking at the scrolls that had been unrolled and attached to the walls, Jiraiya dipped the brush into the almost-transparent ink and began to draw.

.

"Yosh!" Gai declaimed as he entered the new Hokage Office. "Team 7 reporting for duty, Hokage-sama!"

"Excellent timing, Gai-san." Itachi said from behind his desk. "The mission will cover ground familiar to Kiba-kun, I need you to travel to the Land of Waves and hire a certain builder who lives there."

"Tazuna?" Kiba queried and he got a nod in return. "Cool."

"His talents and contacts will prove invaluable in rebuilding the village." Itachi noted. "The mission is low-C-ranked and you will be expected to leave tomorrow at dawn."

"Hinata-sama has told me a bit about Wave." Neji said. "I look forwards to seeing it."

Gai accepted the mission scroll, tucking it into his jacket. "We shall not let you down, Hokage-sama!"

"Then I would suggest you prepare for the mission. Dismissed."

As they left, Itachi caught Kiba saying "I always keep a mission pack ready, all I need are some rations…" before his voice faded.

"Iruka…"

The chunin looked up from his desk on one side of the wall. "Hai, Hokage-sama?"

"Has the Tree-tower been fully mapped out yet?"

"The ANBU handed the map over this morning." Iruka said, rummaging through a stack of files on his desk, then pulling one out. "They highlighted all of the entry points, but due to how each room is at a slightly different height, we can't really say it's a floor-by-floor map. Here."

Itachi accepted the proffered sheet and raised an eyebrow at the sight of a storage seal. Placing it on his desk, he applied a bit of chakra, causing a glass-and-wire model to appear.

"Interesting." He mused. "I assume that the different wires mean different types of channel through the tree?

"Water, electric, air and other." Iruka said. "There are several water storage areas, the largest is just below the office, although there's a small one in the dome above your head, feeding that tap."

Itachi blinked and glanced upwards before he could stop himself.

"Interesting."

Iruka nodded, then glanced at the clock mounted on the wall. "Itachi-sama, Shimura-san should be arriving in a moment."

"Excellent." Itachi growled as he turned towards the opening that would soon have a door placed in it. "I have several things to _discuss_ with the old war-hawk…"

.

"Activate!"

The lines of ink covering Naruto's torso and expanding out to cover half of the floor around him and Hinata seemed to glow and writhe before flowing inwards, finally forming around the original _Hakke no Fūin Shiki_. When the glow faded, two new portions were visible near the top of the seal, while three were visible underneath. Even as Jiraiya and Hinata watched, the ink slowly faded into invisibility. Jiraiya put on the visor and leaned in.

"I… can _just_ make it out… looks like it's settled in place. Excellent. It'll be a few days at least before the natural chakra inflow fully energizes the new seals, so don't try to wake your parents up yet. In fact, I'd play it safe and avoid doing _any_ jutsu for the next couple of days. No clones, no _shunshin_ s… in fact, you may want to avoid sparring as well."

Naruto nodded and Hinata helped him to sit up, then promptly snuggled against him.

"Okay, that's it for today." Jiraiya said as he started to pack away his equipment. "We're going to head out tomorrow to find my old team-mate Tsunade, her skills are pretty much in demand after that damned attack. Now, you two rest up a bit, then head home. I need to speak to the Hokage."

.

"Jiraiya-sama."

"Hokage." Jiraiya nodded as he clambered in through the unglazed window. "Hiashi, Shibi."

The two advisors nodded in return from their position behind the side desk where they were helping to sort through the paperwork.

"It has occurred to me that you did not actually come face to face with the ones known as Pein." Itachi said as he handed Jiraiya a slim folder. "Here are their images, please see if you have met them before. The one who has been positively identified is the first one."

Jiraiya opened the file and his eyebrows shot up.

"That… that's the Suna puppet user I fought a few decades ago. He was tough… what was his name again…"

"Takama."

"That's him… what the hells? _Six_ arms… his eyes…"

"The _rin'negan_." Hiashi confirmed as he leafed through another stack of papers.

" _Another_?" Jiraiya gasped, then he looked at the next page. "Oh Kami… Yahiko…"

Jiraiya quickly flipped through the other pictures and frowned. "Okay, no sign of Nagato, but Yahiko was his friend… but I heard… that… he… no. He couldn't have…"

"Jiraiya?"

Jiraiya looked up from the file, looking queasy.

"I recognize _all_ of them. I don't remember most of the names, but I've encountered them all, and _none_ of them had the _rin'negan_ at the time. It must have been implanted, or something, but… the piercings. Perhaps they had something to do with it. I mean, this one was a priest, this one I based the fight in my first novel on, he was from the Fuma clan if I remember rightly… this man used to be a Kusa farmer as well as a ninja and this one was a shinobi from Takigakure."

"The preliminary autopsy from the one that Sasuke managed to take down indicates that the piercings are an unknown chakra-conductive metal." Shibi droned. "Only a basic autopsy was performed, the body is in a scroll waiting for examination by Tsunade, assuming that your mission is successful."

"It will be, even if I have to knock the drunk bitch out and carry her back." Jiraiya stated, his face carved like stone.

"Then you shall leave tomorrow."

.

"Little brother."

"Hokage-niisan." Sasuke smirked weakly from his hospital bed.

"You present me with an interesting dilemma." Itachi noted. "I wish to promote you, but it would be seen by too many as favouritism. Fortunately, Hiruzen-sama revealed his plan to me."

Sasuke looked curiously at his brother, then at the smiling former Hokage who had just entered.

"I am removing you from Kurenai's tutelage and placing you as Hiruzen's apprentice." Itachi said. "I am certain that you will learn a great deal from him."

"But… what about my team?" Sasuke protested, earning proud smiled from both men.

"Shimura Danzo… was less than helpful in fending off the attack, a fact which I explained to him displeased me." Itachi smirked. "As a result, I have _acquired_ a number of ninja trained under his command who need to be rehabilitated and reintegrated into Konoha's forces. Your replacement is one of them. His name is Sai."

.

"My Lord?"

"Yes… Konan…" The emaciated red-haired figure wheezed as the crab-like chair he was sat in turned to face the woman, the light glinting off the array of metal rods piercing his back.

"Only _five_ paths came back… Your Naraka path…"

"Consumed by black fire." The emaciated man said slowly. "I will need a new Path… begin searching… for a viable vessel."

"Yes, My Lord."

"Tobi is sorry he wasn't there earlier." A new voice said and Konan glared at the masked figure before walking out of the room. As the door closed, Tobi's body-language changed.

"Nagato, tell me that the Uchiha are no longer a threat?"

"Only two of those… in Konoha have… the _Mangekyo_ and… they are cousins, not brothers." Nagato whispered. "If what you have told me… about the Sharingan… is true, it would take… a medic on the level… of Tsunade to ensure… a successful transplant."

"Then Tsunade must die." Tobi stated.

"I… will give the orders…. And finalize the teams…"

Tobi turned to face him. "And they would be?"

"Kakazu and Naka… Kisame and Deidara… Sasori and Orochimaru…"

"Interesting, but I can see why." Tobi mused. "Regarding the Snake Sannin and the bounty hunter… I am uncertain that we can trust their loyalty…"

"They are still… useful."

Tobi nodded, then held up a small container which had a pair of eyes floating in it.

"These were once Naori's. Give these to Naka and tell Orochimaru to implant them. We may need another wielder of the _Eternal Mangekyo_ on our side. Konoha may be crippled, but there are still three other villages."

"As you wish… Madara…" Nagato said, accepting the vial.

Tobi vanished as one of the Paths of Pein walked in and took the vial before walking out. Nagato sighed and closed his eyes.

"It will all… be worth it… when we perform… the Moon's Eye plan."

.

A pair of dark eyes slowly opened and gazed almost sightlessly at the hospital ceiling.

"Hey, you're awake." A voice said and the dark-haired girl looked round.

"Do you know where you are?"

"Hospital?" The girl croaked and the nurse nodded.

"Good, and do you know _who_ you are?"

The girl stared at her for a long moment, panic rising in her eyes, then she shook her head.

"All right, it's all right." The nurse said reassuringly. "Stay calm and I'll get someone who can help you."

.

"Her memories are gone." Inoichi sighed as he slumped in the chair in front of Itachi's desk. "I probed as deeply as I could without inflicting any injury, and her memories are scrambled beyond repair. On the plus side, that means she isn't loyal to Orochimaru any more."

"And her skills?"

"Completely intact. Her aim with senbon would put Tenten's to shame and she seems to have an affinity to genjutsu. She can tree-walk, but not water-walk at this time. Her chakra levels are slightly higher than normal and she has good control, but nothing out of the ordinary. She has incredibly good hearing, though. I did find a memory-fragment, though. Her name is Tsuchi Kin. Shikaku's already checking the intelligence records to see if we have anything.

"It does, however, leave the problem of what we're going to do with her…" Inoichi sighed. "She knows that she had been a ninja and it cost her her memories, so she wants to do something else, but she doesn't have much in the way of civilian skills…"

Hiashi looked up from his desk.

"If you wish, I can have Hitomi teach her how to run a household. As Hinata-chan and Ruto-kun are both chunin now, they may want some staff to keep their planned mansion safe while they are on missions."

Itachi blinked a few times, then he nodded.

"An excellent idea. And since we are speaking about Ruto setting up a home, it occurs to me that although the site of the Yondaime's home was cleared, the foundations should still be intact…"

"They are, as are the cellars and vault." Hiashi confirmed. "I have had some of my clan examining them on a regular basis and we have stockpiled quite a few support beams and pillars ready for when the occasion arises…"

Itachi and Hiashi exchanged satisfied smirks.

"Then perhaps a start should be made, so that Ruto-kun will have a home to come back to."

"Indeed."

"Lord Hokage!"

Itachi turned as Anko dived in through the window, a large scroll clutched in her arms.

"Lord Hokage, look!" Anko gasped as she unrolled the scroll on the floor.

"That… that is the Snake Summoning Contract." Itachi noted.

"The names! Look at the last three names!"

"Orochimaru, Mitarashi Anko… Yakushi Kabuto? When did you get that scroll?"

"Aoda appeared a few minutes ago and gave it to me, he said that Manda is no longer the Snake Boss and the contract with Orochimaru has been severed, making me the new Snake Summoner, but I never gave this Kabuto permission to sign…" Anko stated as she rolled the scroll up again.

Itachi nodded.

"I understand. ANBU! Locate Yakushi Kabuto and bring him to me."


	31. Search

Jiraiya hid a smirk as he glanced backwards to his two assistants. Even though they were leaping through the trees with all the maneuvering to avoid branches that it entailed, Naruto and Hinata were still managing to hold onto each others hands.

What really made him want to howl with laughter was that it was obvious that the two of them weren't actually aware that they were doing it!

"How long before we get there?" Naruto called and Jiraiya slowed slightly, sacrificing speed for altitude and getting a look above the canopy of the trees.

"Only another half-hour at this pace." Jiraiya called back as he descended through the branches without causing a single leaf to twitch. "I hope that you can keep it up."

The snort from behind him didn't come from Naruto and Jiraiya's grin widened.

.

"Coming… Oh. Um, hello… Kiba? Akamaru! It's been too long. Who are your friends?"

Kiba looked up from where he had collapsed, rolling onto his back with barely enough energy to wipe the sweat out of his eyes. "Hey Tsunami."

"Oh, you look exhausted." Tsunami said in concern. "I'll have some water for you in a moment."

Kiba tried to get up, but failed. After a moment, Gai reached down and lifted him by his jacket.

"My youthful student has yet to fully stoke his flames of youth!"

"I thought I _liked_ running…" Kiba moaned as he dangled limply. "My legs feel like they're gonna fall off."

"You're just not used to Gai-sensei's training regimen yet." Tenten said reassuringly. "Good afternoon, I am Higarushi Tenten and these are my team-mates, Hyuuga Neji and Inuzuka Kiba, and this is our sensei, Maito Gai. We are the rebuilt Team 7."

Tsunami gasped. "Ruto… Hinata… what happened…?"

"They're chunin now." Tenten smiled. "And their sensei is the new Hokage."

"Oooooh, but… what happened to Kiba? Why isn't he a… chunin?"

Tenten glanced at her now-sleeping team-mate.

"He had a… very unfortunate ending to his match. He was knocked out…"

Neji snorted with suppressed laughter, earning a glare from Tenten.

"…and so we were recruited to fill the gaps on his team."

"I see." Tsunami said. "Please, come in."

Team 7 followed the woman into the house and Gai gently laid Kiba onto one of the sofas.

"So… you're the new Team 7?" Tsunami asked. "Pardon me, but are you related to Hinata-chan?"

"She is my cousin." Neji confirmed.

"I _thought_ you looked similar." Tsunami mused. "So what brings you to Wave?"

"We are here to secure your father's services." Gai began. "There has been a most unyouthful attack on our village…"

.

Orochimaru frowned as his bloody hand rested on the floor.

"Was that supposed to happen?" Sasori deadpanned and Orochimaru gave his hand a look as if it had somehow betrayed him.

"That _should_ have summoned a messenger snake." Orochimaru said as he stood up, absent-mindedly applying a healing jutsu to his thumb. "Odd that it didn't… I wonder…"

Orochimaru closed his eyes and opened his mouth, then re-opened his eyes.

"Strange, I can't summon my sword either…"

"Lord Orochimaru!"

Both men turned to see two new shapes enter, one leaning on the other.

"Kabuto?"

"Yes, Lord Orochimaru." Kabuto panted. "I was lucky enough to escape with Viyjai's help. They discovered I was working for you, I had to kill three ANBU to get away. Viyjai overheard another ninja saying something about me signing a scroll…"

"The Snake Summoning Scroll!" Orochimaru gasped in horrified understanding. "It must be in Anko's hands… Kabuto, have you tried summoning a snake since the invasion?"

"I tried and nothing happened, my Lord."

Orochimaru snarled. "Curse that girl, I should have killed her long ago! She must have got her hands on the Scroll and cancelled both of our contracts!"

"Tobi wonders if this is a bad time..."

.

"Kisame, Deidara. You have been assigned to kill one of the _Densetsu no Sannin_."

"Heh, sounds like it could be a blast, yeah!" The shorter of the two men grinned. "So, is it the frog or the slug?"

"Your target is Senju Tsunade." The wavering image of Pein said.

"Heh, a strong enemy at last." The taller of the two smirked, one hand fondly stroking the hilt of the sword across his back

"I'll use my art on her!" Deidara laughed.

"And if that don't kill her, I'll use _Samehada_." Kisame stated, his teeth showing in a smile that any shark would have been proud of. "Do we know where she is?"

.

"We're going to stop here." Jiraiya said as the small town came into view.

"And we will find Tsunade here?" Hinata asked.

"No," Jiraiya replied, "But I can find out where she is, or where she is going to be. Several of my contacts are here and they are well-connected. I'll leave you two in a hotel room and… okay, that didn't sound right."

Hnata giggled as Jiraiya tried and failed to find a way to re-phrase his sentence.

"Dammit!" Jiraiya cursed after several moments in thought. "There's just no way to phrase it that doesn't make me sound like a pimp, is there?"

Hinata's giggles turned into full laughter as Jiraiya pouted.

"Come on." He growled as he stomped towards the main gate. "The sooner we get there, the sooner I can find out where we should be next."

.

Uchiha Naka stirred, one hand reaching up to the blindfold across his eyes before it was swatted away.

"Stop that." Kabuto scolded. "Implanting those eyes was quite tricky and ensuring that the implantation took was even moreso. Please don't do anything that might undo all of my hard work."

"The _Eternal Mangekyo_." Naka smirked. "Mine at long last. I knew joining Akatsuki was a good move."

Kabuto shrugged as he picked up a vial containing Naka's original eyes in a preservative solution.

"We may be about to gain a new agent within Konoha, one that is well placed in undermining its attempts to rebuild." He said as he placed the vial into a small wooden box, ensuring that the padding inside held it securely. "Our new ally is quite… put out by the actions of the new Hokage and wishes to seek revenge, claiming the position of Hokage for himself. Tell me, did you ever encounter Shimura Danzo?"

"Danzo?" Naka repeated with raised eyebrows. "I remember that Fugaku didn't trust him, said that he was even more militaristic than us Uchiha…"

"Interesting." Kabuto mused as he closed the lid of the box. "Very interesting. Please, tell me more."

.

Naruto sighed as he sank into the hot water. Beside him, her wrap secured tightly, Hinata leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"This is nice." Hinata sighed as she reached up to cup his cheek in her hand. "How long can you hold your _henge_?"

"As long as you want me to." Naruto smiled, reaching up to brush his blond hair back, then he smiled down at his fiancee. "Although given your _byakugan_ and the visor..."

"You want to know why I asked you to do this?" Hinata smiled. "Well, sometimes a girl just has to show off the things precious to her…"

Naruto glanced round, noting how several of the other people in the shared spring were looking at them, most of them smiling as Hinata snuggled closer to him.

"Point taken, Hime."

Hinata's smile widened, then she turned and glared at a spot on the surrounding fence, with her _Byakugan_ activated.

"I thought you were checking your contacts, Jiraiya." She growled. "I do _not_ appreciate you spying on my snuggle-time."

For a moment, the silence on the other side of the fence seemed almost guilty, then the texture of the silence changed.

"He's gone." Hinata sighed, then she looked round as the other women in the pool moved to surround her. "Is… something wrong?"

"Are you a ninja?" One of them asked and Hinata nodded slowly.

"Can we hire you?" Another asked quickly and Naruto started to laugh.

"Hire… me?" Hinata asked and the women nodded.

"Yep, to chase away the perverts…"

"I'm not a _pervert_!" A distant voice shouted. "I'm a SUPER pervert!"

Hinata buried her head in her hands, then turned to try and hide against Naruto's chest while he wrapped his hands reassuringly around her.

"It's alright, Hinata-hime." He whispered. "We only have to put up with it for a little while."

.

"Okay, we're super-ready!" Tazuna exclaimed as he looked over the column of men and carts that had assembled by the end of the bridge in the dawnlight.

"YOSH!" Gai half-shouted. "Truly your fires of youth burn most brightly, Tazuna-san!"

Tazuna shrugged, then waved one hand to get the column moving. "I'm actually amazed how many of my friends wanted to help." He admitted as Gai grabbed the bar of the most heavily laden cart and began walking with no sign of strain at all. "Of course, we all owe Team 7 our freedom. This is just the start of us repaying that debt."

"A very youthful outlook." Gai grinned, glancing round. "I must say that this is good exercise!"

"Glad you think so…" Tazuna shrugged. "Now, where did my grandson go?"

.

"…they're both chunin?" Inari gasped. "Wow! But… why aren't you one as well? You're awesome enough?"

Kiba blushed slightly. "I… had a bad matchup in the preliminaries and got K.O'd. I don't really remember much of it, but I got teased about it quite a bit since I was winning for most of the match."

"That must suck." Inari commiserated and Kiba shrugged.

"It kinda sucks seeing my friends go on ahead, but I've got a new team to work with now, so it's fine. I've never been fitter and I'm getting really strong. Gai-sensei may be insane, but he's a damned good teacher."

"I'd agree with that." Tenten said from behind them and Inari looked round. "It does take a while to get used to his… quirks, though. At least he's not doing the _sunset genjutsu_ as often."

"Only when Lee visits." Kiba nodded and Akamaru _yip_ ped in agreement. "So, you know how to use that crossbow of yours? If you ask nicely, Tenten might give you a few pointers. I swear, she has to have a _kekkai genkai_ or something, she never misses!"

"Whoah, really?" Inari gasped and Tenten nodded in confirmation. "That is just _so cool_!"

"Yeah, she even managed to copy and improve on a senbon strike after seeing it performed _once_." Kiba said, causing Inari's eyes to widen and Tenten to blush slightly. "If anyone can get you from good to true expert with your bow, she can."

Tenten hid a sigh as Inari performed the best _puppy dog eyes no jutsu_ she had ever seen, even taking Akamaru at his cutest into account.

"Alright, we'll see what you can do once we stop for the evening."

"Yahoo!"

.

Naruto hurled a kunai at the intruder even before he woke up. His actions roused Hinata, who sleepily activated her _Byakugan_ before leaping out of bed, landing in a _Juho_ stance as Naruto prepared to deploy his clones.

"Not bad, kid." The intruder blocking the door laughed, twirling the Kunai that Naruto had thrown. "But it seems familiar for some reason."

"Jiraiya…" Naruto sighed while Hinata, realizing that she was only wearing a light t-shirt and panties, _eep_ 'd and dived behind the bed, grabbing her clothes as she did so. " _Knock_ next time."

Jiraiya shrugged in an unrepentant manner, then he grinned. "I got the info we needed and we're gonna head out in twenty minutes. Get dressed and grab some food, 'cause we're going to be moving."

As Jiraiya closed the door, Naruto reached out for his Hakama.

.

"So, where are we off to?" Naruto asked.

"Tanzaku Quarters." Jiraiya grinned. "If she isn't there now, she will be soon, based on what my contacts said."

"I wonder if we'll have a chance to see the castle?" Hinata mused as they took to the treetops. "Did you know that the castle and its grounds take up about a quarter of the town? Or that almost a third of its inhabitants are poets or scribes?"

Jiraiya grinned. "It's where my books get published."

"Ah, so it has a smut section." Hinata said innocently, timing the comment so that as Jiraiya turned to glare at her, he missed the branch he was aiming for and vanished into the undergrowth with a startled yelp.

Naruto and Hinata halted on a branch and stared at the new hole in the lowest canopy.

"Hime, you have an _evil_ sense of humor sometimes."

"She does indeed." Jiraiya grumped from behind them, causing them both to jolt in shock. "What, you thought that something like _that_ would get me? Oh, you caught me by surprise, but I've been the butt of worse jokes than that. Heck, Minato got me with a real doozy once, I'll tell you about it some other time. Come on, let's get going."

As Jiraiya leapt off, Hinata and Naruto exchanged glances.

"I thought it was funny." Naruto offered.

.

"We shall camp here for the night!" Gai proclaimed as he absently reached back with one hand to halt the wagon in the middle of the clearing.

"How _does_ he keep going like that?" Tazuna asked, staring at the spandex-clad Jonin. "I mean, it normally takes _four_ people to move a wagon that heavy, and they need to rest every hour or so."

"Gai-sensei is the premier _taijutsu_ expert of Konoha." Neji supplied as he unsealed his tent and began assembling it. "He is perhaps the only non-Hyuuga who has mastered the katas of _jyuuken_ , although he cannot use it to its fullest extent."

Neji paused, noting Tazuna's blank stare, and sighed.

"I guess that you have to know Konoha to know just how unprecedented that is." He said with a slight shrug.

"Guess so." Tazuna said with a matching shrug. "So… this place looks familiar… hey, it's my old sake bottle!"

"Grandpa, are you starting to drink again?" Inari half-shouted as Tazuna hefted the empty bottle. "You know mum doesn't like it when you drink."

"Nah, but it's a super-funny story." Tazuna chuckled. "You know that Ruto's naturally invisible, right? Well, I didn't know that at the time, so when I saw a load of branches seem to float towards the firepit there, I thought that the sake had finally got to me and I poured it out there… I could have sworn that tree wasn't dead at the time, though…"

.

"Tanzaku Quarters." Jiraiya declaimed as they crested the ridge that had concealed the walled town. "We made good time, so Tsunade should be here tonight or tomorrow."

"Good." Hinata stated. "That means I get some time with my snuggly."

"I still have no clue how to respond to that." Jiraiya admitted after a long pause. "Let's just get a couple of hotel rooms and then I'll check my contacts here."

"Sounds like a plan." Naruto shrugged. "I'll deploy my clones across the rooftops to keep watch."

"Your clones still freak me out somewhat." Jiraiya admitted. "However, before you start making your personal army, I need to check that your seal has fully re-stabilised. I'll need you to recharge the visor first, though."

"Sure." Naruto shrugged.

"Just as long as it doesn't cut too much into my snuggle-time." Hinata added. "Like you did before."

"Oh, come _on_!" Jiraiya moaned. "Just because I didn't realise that Naruto's invisible chakra would cause a problem I had no way of knowing about…"

.

"Pein-sama." Kisame said respectfully.

"Orochimaru has provided us with the location of the Slug Sannin." Pein's image said. "She is at a town called Tanzaku Quarters."

"I know that place, yeah." Deidara said with a wide grin. "I had a mission there once, the whole town thinks it's devoted to art, but _real_ art is a _blast_!"

"Then by all means, feel free to enlighten them as to the true nature of art." Pein said before flickering out of existence. Deidara grunted as he unfolded himself from his meditative position.

"Man, those conversations leave me stiff, yeah."

"So, we running to Tanzaku?"

"Give me a few minutes, yeah." Deidara said as he pulled out a bag from under his cloak and stuck his hand into it.

"That still kinda freaks me out." Kisami admitted, earning a disbelieving look.

"You have a spiky, living sword with a mouth of it's own and you're freaked by _my_ hands?" Deidara asked archly.

"Yeah, I know." Kisame shrugged. "So, how long before…"

Kisame paused as Deidara pulled his hand back out of the bag, making a fist and then opening it to reveal a mouth set into his palm. The mouth opened and regurgitated a large amount of white clay which formed a large pile before it flexed and warped into a giant bird.

"We'll be there by midnight, yeah!" Deidara exulted as he leapt onto the clay bird's back. A moment later, Kisame joined him and the bird launched itself skywards.

"Yeeeeeaaaaahhhhhhhh!" Kisame roared. "I _like_ this mode of transport!"

.

"Well, that's it." Jiraiya said, removing the metal visor. "The seal has fully integrated and should be usable again."

"Time to test it." Naruto said. " _Bijuton: Kage Youkai Bunshin_!"

" **About time!"** A familiar voice complained from the resulting cloud of smoke. **"Urgh, it's boring being stuck in there, even with the link to your senses."**

"Sorry, but…"

" **I know."** Kurama said with a wave of his paw. **"Modifying the seal and all that. You know, the two crystals are starting to crack. You may want to get in there and check on them tonight, make sure that those new pipes lead to their arrays. What?"**

"Sorry." Jiraiya said, raising his hands to show he wasn't holding anything. "I… I'm just surprised that you're offering help."

" **It'll give me someone to talk to in there."** Kurama shrugged. **"But for now, there's something** _ **really**_ **important that needs doing."**

All three humans exchanged glances and Kurama sighed before leaping into Hinata's arms.

" **I** _ **really**_ **need a belly rub.** _ **Please**_ **?"**

Jiraiya face-palmed as Hinata started to caress Kurama's soft fur.

"I thought I'd seen everything." He mourned as Naruto started to laugh.


	32. Loss

Naruto sat up in the bed, only for the arm that was wrapped around his chest to tighten and drag him back down.

"Hinata-hime." Naruto whispered. "We need to get up."

"Doanwanna." Hinata mumbled, her arms tightening around him. "Comfy. Doanwannawakeup. Wanmasnuggly."

"We have a mission to do." Naruto replied, frowning as a sense of _déjà vu_ hit him.

"Doancare. Pillowcomfy. Notgonnagetup." Hinata groaned. An instant later, he vanished with a _pop_ and Hinata found herself falling onto the mattress. Rolling over, she sat up and glared at Naruto.

"Clone _kawarimi_ again?" She grumbled.

"It works." Naruto shrugged. "One of my clones just popped, Tsunade has entered the town."

Hinata yawned and pulled herself into a seated position. "Urgh, it's too early."

"Several of my clones are following her. We need to get dressed and wake ero-sannin."

Hinata allowed herself to be pulled off the bed, grumbling quietly.

.

"She's in there?" Jiraiya asked and Hinata, the veins around her eyes bulging as she used her _byakugan_ , nodded.

"She is. Third table in, having breakfast. She is with a slightly shorter, younger female…"

"That would be Shizune, the niece of Kato Dan, Tsunade's deceased lover." Jiraiya supplied. "She may look cute and innocent, but she's a skilled Jonin and a fully-trained medic-nin with a sub-specialty in poisons."

"There's also a pig with them." Hinata added and Jiraiya blinked.

"That… is a new one on me. A pig. Huh. Oh well, I'm not getting any younger, although I am getting more handsome. Let's enter."

Hinata and Naruto exchanged exasperated glances before following the white-haired man into the restaurant.

"Hey, Tsunade."

"Jiraiya." The blond at the table spat, glaring at him. "What are you doing here, getting more of your smut printed?"

"I _like_ her." Naruto whispered as Kurama, newly manifested and sprawled across his shoulders, raised his head to watch. Jiraiya spared him a glare before sitting down opposite Tsunade and motioning for the two chunin to pull up more chairs.

"Who are the brats?" Tsunade grumbled as she picked up her sake saucer and Jiraiya placed a seal on the table, channeling chakra into it.

"We're safe from being overheard now." He said as Tsunade glared at the inoffensive piece of paper. "These two are Yurei Ruto and Hyuuga Hinata."

"A clanless freak and a stuck-up bitch?" Tsunade started to sneer before her head was suddenly propelled into the table.

"Ruto!"

"No-one calls my fiancee that!" Naruto snarled as his clone slammed her head into the table again before dispelling.

"Wh… wha… what the _hell_?" Tsunade managed as she rubbed her forehead. "How the hell did you just _do_ that?"

"I didn't see him do anything." Shizune whispered, staring at Naruto with wide eyes. "What _was_ that?"

Jiraiya nodded and Naruto pulled off his glove, then picked up the bottle of Sake.

"Holy…" Tsunade whispered, leaning in for a closer look. "True invisibility? Is it a jutsu?"

"Bloodlimit." Jiraiya replied and Tsunade turned her shocked gaze to him. "Tested and confirmed, but he's the first generation with the _Toton Kekkei Genkai_."

Naruto donned his glove again as Tsunade glanced at him and Hinata.

"Sleeping bird seal?"

Hinata nodded and Tsunade frowned in concentration.

"Are you invisible to _dojutsu_ as well?"

"To standard B _yakugan_ s and _Sharingan_ s, yes, but the _Mangekyo_ can see me." Naruto said. "A few of my clones were taken out by someone using the _rin'negan_ , so I think that it can see me as well."

"Interesting." Tsunade mused. "That is one hell of a bloodlimit, it'll make getting medical treatment quite difficult. On the other hand, if it carries true, it'll increase Konoha's strength incredibly."

"And we'll need it." Jiraiya said, earning an inquisitive glance. "Konoha got attacked last week. We've lost almost a third of our number. Sensei lost his arm. We need you back."

"And why should I?" Tsunade asked, picking up her sake dish and refilling it. "You know I have bad memories of Konoha."

"Maybe because the Hokage said that he would place you in the Bingo Book if you didn't return."

Tsunade dropped the dish. "Sensei would never do that!"

"Sensei isn't the Hokage anymore." Jiraiya countered. "The Godaime Hokage Uchiha Itachi has sent me out with orders to find you and deliver his orders to you. You are to return to Konoha and take over running the hospital. Furthermore, you are to oversee the creation of a med-nin trainee program which will run in the Academy, ensuring that all future teams have a med-nin capable of doing more than just wrapping bandages."

"I… I… Really?"

Jiraiya nodded slowly. "It's time to come… what?"

Naruto rose to his feet, looking round as Hinata did the same.

"Someone just dispelled one of my sentry clones."

.

"Wow, what happened here?" Tazuna asked, looking at the giant crater that was already starting to fill with water.

"An attack by an SS-ranked ninja." Itachi said grimly. "Ideas?"

Tazuna cocked his head, looking at the waterfall where the river fed into the crater and the drying riverbed on the other side.

"I'd recommend putting anchor points in before it fills, maybe some foundations for pillars, then having some buildings on stilts and others on rafts." He finally said. "If we build a bridge across to reconnect the two halves of the main road, it could also act as a hub for river traffic."

"A good thought." Itachi nodded. "And the other project?"

"After you sent me the plans for the foundations, I drew up the blueprints on my way here." Tazuna said, passing a roll of paper across. "I have a team ready to begin construction, it should be finished within a week, less if we get help."

"You'll have at least one Kunoichi willing to help." Itachi stated, then someone coughed behind him.

"You will have more than that. I have assigned just over half of the clan to aid in rebuilding Konoha. I will personally lead a half-dozen to aid in this project. With our eyes, you will not need to worry about faulty materials."

"Thank you, Hiashi-sama." Itachi said.

"I could do no less, Hokage-sama."

.

"Sentry clones?" Jiraiya asked, standing up and cancelling the seal.

"Yeah, a white spider landed on it and exploded." Naruto confirmed, then he frowned. "And another has reported that several clones were just dispelled by someone using a wrapped sword, but I didn't get any memories back from them."

"What can cause the clones to _not_ send their memories back?" Hinata asked as she activated her _byakugan_.

"Sounds like a chakra-draining jutsu." Jiraiya mused as he flexed his arms. "Princess, time for you to get your game together."

Tsunade nodded as she rose from her seat.

"How many do you think there are?"

"Two." Hinata said quietly. "One of them has a huge amount of chakra and is carrying something that is shaped a bit like a sword, but has almost as much chakra in it."

"Oh, fuck." Jiraiya swore. "That one sounds like Kisame."

"Outside! Now!" Hinata screamed and Tsunade reacted by punching the wall, sending it into the street. As the ninja piled out, a blast of fire lanced down through the very spot where they had been standing.

"The hell?" Jiraiya swore. "That looked like an Iwa Explosion Corps shaped charge!"

"Art is a _blast_! Yeah!" A voice exulted and everyone glanced up to see a blond man grinning down at them, his black-and-red cloak flapping dramatically in the aftermath of the explosion.

"I know him." Jiraiya said slowly. "Deidara, Iwa nukenin and former member of the Explosion Corps. Where's Kisame?"

"Here." Another voice gloated from behind them and Naruto reacted instantly, firing a nearly transparent chain at him. Kisame swung his wrapped sword to block it and it seemed to absorb the chain before Naruto released the technique, shattering the links.

"It absorbed my chakra chain!"

"Samehada drains chakra." Kisame smirked. "Your chains and your _rasengan_ are useless against me."

"Hey, I thought the dame we were after was a crone, yeah?" Deidara asked and Tsunade growled, her fists clenching. "You sure this is the one?"

"She uses a _genjutsu_ to look younger, but it's her." Kisame nodded. "May as well kill her friends too."

Jiraiya looked at the two cloaked figures and growled.

"Shizune, you take the kids and delay Deidara while Tsunade and I take out Kisame."

"This'll be _fun_." Kisame grinned, hefting his sword.

"Witness my art, yeah!" Deidara shouted, unleashing a barrage of pale kunai.

"They're charged with chakra!" Hinata shouted as she leapt into the air. " _Kaiten_!"

Hinata briefly vanished in a globe of chakra that was engulfed in flame as the kunai detonated against it, then she dropped out of the smoke, soot-streaked but uninjured.

"You're good, but I'm better, yeah! Whoah!"

Deidara leapt sideways as a chakra chain lanced through where he had been standing.

.

Tsunade punched at the sword that Kisame was holding. Although the resulting blow sent him through the wall, the unexpected amount of pain in her hand caused her to look down at the blood flowing from the many scraped on her knuckles.

"Tsunade? Tsunade!"

"Bl… bl… bl…"

"Shit!" Jiraiya cursed as he pulled the unresisting woman out of the way of a vertical slash that would have bisected her. "I hoped you'd overcome that damned phobia by now!"

"Oh, this is wonderful, she's scared of blood?" Kisame chortled, swinging Samehada horizontally and forcing Jiraiya ro retreat. "Well, I guess it's time to- _hurk_!"

Jiraiya blinked as Kisame reeled back, one hand rising to his throat, then a sandal-shaped depression briefly formed on his cheek, sending him staggering sideways.

"Heh, another silent killing type but one who uses an invisibility jutsu, huh?" Kisame grunted. "Let's even the playing field. _Kirigakure no Jutsu_!"

The entire world seemed to vanish in the swirls of mist and Jiraiya froze, then he bit his thumb before his hands flickered through a set of hand-seals.

 _Boar_ , _Dog_ , _Bird_ , _Monkey_ , _Ram_.

" _Kuchyose no jutsu_." He whispered.

.

Shizune landed on a rooftop just across from where Diedara stood.

"Quick, what are your skills?"

"I'm a Hyuuga." Hinata whispered. "But I prefer to use _Juho_ rather than _Jyuuken_."

"Invisible clones, _Rasengan_ and chakra chains, although I can only create one at a time and have difficulty controlling them." Naruto said. "I've just sent a dozen clones to help pervy-sage. I'm still working on the _Hiraishin_."

Shizune glanced down briefly, frowning at the thick mist that was filling the streets.

"The mist is like the one Zabuza used." Hinata growled. "I can't _see_ through it. Dodge!"

The trio scattered bare instants before the roof they were on erupted in a column of flame.

"Witness my performance!" Deidara shouted from above and Shizune swore.

"We'll never get him up there!"

"Ruto, his clay is mainly earth-natured!"

Naruto nodded and flung one hand up. The chain that lanced out, instead of being pale green, instead had a yellowish glow and its tip pierced the clay bird.

"What the… Noooo!" Deidara screamed as the bird disintegrated, causing him to plummet.

Naruto paused just long enough to run through five hand-seals before shedding his outer layer of clothing, vanishing from sight.

.

Kisame spun, his sword slamming straight through the invisible figure that had disturbed the fog. The resulting cloud of chakra smoke was absorbed by Samehada and Kisame growled.

"Where are… Gotcha!"

Lunging forwards, he slashed downwards, only for his sword to be caught in one hand.

"What the…?"

" _Hmmph, youngsters today, no sense of decorum."_

" _Are you saying I'm rude?!"_

" _No, the fish-man over there!"_

Kisame's eyes widened as he took in the details of the figure before him, the figure that was standing protectively over the shuddering figure of his target. Although it was recognizably Jiraiya, his nose had grown, warts had appeared on his face and a goatee now adorned his chin. while the red lined under his eyes had expanded to cover almost half his face. In addition, a small, wrinkled toad was perched on each shoulder.

"What… what are… frogs?"

"Toads." Jiraiya corrected him. "You remember my title?"

Kisame swallowed as a sense of foreboding filled him. "The Toad… Sage… oh hell."

Jiraiya grinned and brought his other hand up, a _rasengan_ forming in it.

"Oh crap." Kisame muttered as he failed to extract Samehada from Jiraiya's grasp.

.

"How are you _doing_ that?!" Deidara screamed as the young girl he had stuck an explosive spider onto seemed to vanish an instant before the spider exploded, reappearing unscathed a couple of rooftops away. A blast aimed at the other woman seemed to engulf her, only for her to appear on his other side, spinning to face him again.

"No-one's that fast!" Deidara growled angrily. "I'll turn you into art yet, yeah!"

A rattling of loose roofing tiles was his only warning, but it was enough that he was able to dodge _just_ enough, taking the attack on his shoulder rather than the back of his neck. The impact threw him across the roof and as he landed, he gritted his teeth against the pain in his shoulder.

"You're going to pay for that!" He shouted, then he froze as a trio of invisible blades pierced his torso.

"Art is a _blast_." He whispered as his color drained away. " _Katsu_!"

.

"Thank goodness for suicide clones." Deidara whispered, staring almost hungrily at the smoky flames and scattered wreckage left behind by his technique. "Now to find them and finish them off!"

.

"Thank goodness for _Toton Bunshin_." Naruto said, causing Hinata and Shizune to nod in agreement. "Now, let's find that bastard and take him down."

"Hinata and I can hold him, you get Tsunade somewhere safe, like the basement of the castle."

"I'll leave a couple of dozen clones to help you." Naruto replied.

.

Kisame growled as he punched out another of the damned invisible attackers, then turned as the easily-recognizable chakra source that was Jiraiya landed behind him.

"Abandoned your friend at last?" He sneered. "Well, I just have to hold you for Diedara to do his work."

Jiraiya growled, then crouched, showing that his already-long hair had somehow grown longer and was pointing forwards.

" _Senpō: Kebari Senbon_!"

Kisame swore as he frantically retreated from the sudden storm of senbon-like hair that was being launched at him, using Samehada as a shield to block as much of the attack as possible. Spotting a side-passage, he dived into it, wincing as the hair projectiles slashed into the wall, sending chunks of it flying.

"The hell was _that_?" He muttered to himself as he let Samehada heal his injuries. "He attacked me with his _hair_?"

.

Deidara smirked as he sent his second clone after the Slug Sannin, having managed to catch a glimpse of her being carried into the castle, then he released a flock of exploding clay birds, directing them towards the kunoichi duo attacking him. To his shock, the birds were ripped to pieces by the younger ninja, her hands blurring in a pattern that he had never seen before.

"My birds!" He shouted angrily. "You'll pay for that!"

.

"The hell is he shouting about now?" Kisame mused, glancing upwards.

"You should be concentrating on _me_!" Jiraiya snarled from behind him and Kisame started to turn, but he wasn't fast enough. " _Rasengan_!"

Kisame screamed as the chakra sphere dug into his torso, then he slammed into the ground and everything went dark.

.

"Ouch." Kisame mused as he slowly stood from his meditation position. "I'll have to be more careful if I ever encounter Jiraiya in person, he's on a whole other level. I hope Deidara manages without me."

Stretching, Kisame reached into his cloak and pulled out a small box, opening it to reveal a bed of steamed rice topped with shrimp and crab meat.

"May as well eat while I'm waiting."

.

"What the hell?" Jiraiya said in shock as he looked at the corpse embedded into the ground. "That's not Kisame… what the hell is going on?"

An explosion caught his attention and he looked up, as did the two Toad Elders on his shoulders.

" _Sounds like there's still work to be done._ "

"You got that right, Fukasaku-sama." Jiraiya said grimly. "Are you both with me?"

" _Of course we are._ " The other toad said fondly. " _The sooner you finish, the sooner we can have dinner._ "

Jiraiya nodded, then leapt up to the rooftops.

.

"He just keep firing those damned exploding birds!" Shizune swore as she leapt out of the path of three of the winged bombs. "How are we meant to beat him?"

"I don't know." Hinata growled, her _byakugan_ activated. "He's tough!"

"Prepare to become art, ye- _urk_!"

Deidara struggled against the vice-like grip on his nick, then Jiraiya jerked his hands and Deidara went limp before his body seemed to distort.

"Again!" Jiraiya swore, staring at the corpse that he was holding. "How the hell do they _do_ that?"

"Where's Tsunade-sama?!" Shizune asked urgently and Jiraiya smiled.

"I had Ruto take her into the castle to hide."

Shizune looked at the towering edifice, then her face turned white as the entire structure was engulfed in a giant explosion.

" **Lady Tsunade**!"

" **Naruto**!"

Jiraiya stared in horror at the falling wreckage. "No. No! **Noooo**!"

.

"That _hurt_ , yeah, but I got the bitch!" Deidara stated as he slumped out of his meditation pose. "My clone turned her into art!"

"I saw." Kisame said approvingly as he descended from the small hill that gave him a view of Tanzuka Quarters. "That was quite an explosion."

"Yeah! I got the Slug Princess and that invisible kid!"

Kisame froze in sudden horror. "Deidara, you _do_ realize that the invisible kid is the Jinchuuriki of the Kyubi, right?"

"Ye… oh shit."

"Oh, Pein-sama is going to be _pissed_ if you've killed him before the Kyuubi can be extracted." Kisame groused. "You'd better hope he survived."

Deidara swallowed nervously. "Maybe we should take our time going back."

"That may be a good idea." Kisame nodded.

.

"No sign of them." Hinata sobbed and Jiraiya carefully pulled her into a comforting hug.

"We managed to save quite a few people." He offered, glancing over to where Shizune was helping to heal the survivors they had pulled out of the wreckage. Her expression showed that she was trying to ignore her sorrow by concentrating completely on the task in hand, something that would only work for so long.

"Once things are under control, we'll all head back to Konoha." Jiraiya added. "Naruto deserves the best damned memorial I can make for him."

Hinata nodded, tears still flowing down her cheeks.

"The best damned memorial…" Jiraiya repeated quietly. "The best…"


	33. Conclusion

"Konoha." Jiraiya said in an emotionally-drained voice as the trio (and pig) walked listlessly towards the gates to the hidden village. "God knows how I'm going to explain this."

"Explain what?" A voice asked and Hinata's head shot up, staring at the figure standing in front of them. Her _byakugan_ activated briefly, then she seemed to teleport forwards, impacting the figure so hard that the collision carried them five feet before they hit the ground.

"Ruu _uuu_ too _ooo_..." She half-shouted, half-cried as she buried her head into his chest. "You're alive!"

"So am I." Said another voice and it was Shizune's turn to teleport, glomping Tsunade so hard that they briefly parted contact with the earth before slamming onto the ground.

"Lady Tsunade! You're alive!"

"…how?" Jiraiya whispered. "How are you…?"

"Alive?" Tsunade asked and Jiraiya nodded, unable to speak. "You can thank Ruto. Shizune, let me up. Let's get you to the Hokage's office and then we can tell you how we survived."

"How…?" Jiraiya repeated, a huge grin forming on his face. "You… you're **alive**!"

Unnoticed, a black-and-white figure withdrew into the tree it was leaning out of.

.

"Welcome back, Jiraiya-sama, Hinata-chan, Shizune-san." Itachi smiled as the group entered his office. "As you can see since you were last here, Shizune, we made a few changes."

"It's… a _tree_." Shizune said in shock.

"Well, we _are_ the village hidden in the leaves." Itachi said, earning several _looks_ , then Hinata frowned.

"Sensei, your eyes…"

Itachi held out a hand and Shisui appeared, dropped a small bundle of ryo into it and vanished again. Hinata raised a querying eyebrow.

"We had a bet as to who'd notice Tsunade's handiwork first."

"Shisui managed to cure my phobia using his _mangekyo_." Tsunade shrugged, attracting their attention. "You're looking at the chief medic and administrator of Konoha Hospital, and the personal physician of the Hokages."

"That's nice." Hinata said absently, her attention still fixated on Itachi's eyes. "What happened?"

Itachi activated his _sharingan_ , then the tomoes warped and flowed into new shapes. His [left eye](https://www.deviantart.com/honorablebaldy/art/Itachi-s-Left-Eye-440355461) boasted a three-bladed shuriken with a red circle in which a four-bladed shuriken resided while his [right eye](https://www.deviantart.com/honorablebaldy/art/Itachi-s-Right-Eye-442303423) had a three-bladed shuriken with a trio of overlapping ellipses in the middle.

"To enable us to protect Konoha better, Shisui, Sasuke and I all went through a special medical procedure." Itachi said. "My left eye used to be Shisui's while my brother gave me my new right eye."

"Oh, kamis above!" Jiraiya gasped. "You have the _Eternal Mangekyo_!"

"As do Shisui and Sasuke." Itachi confirmed. "Shisui has my right eye while Sasuke has my left."

"And Sasuke has Shisui's right eye while Shisui has Sasuke's left." Shizune realised. "A three-way swap."

"That is correct." Itachi confirmed. "I decided that with the amount of damage Konoha's forces took, having two fully-powered up Sharingans available for missions would be a highly-valuable asset."

"Two?" Naruto asked.

"The Hokage generally has to remain in Konoha." Tsunade said with a slight shrug. "As does the chief medic. Right now, having Itachi and myself here means that we are very unlikely to be attacked again, leaving you lot ready for deployment. Except for you, Shizune. The paperwork's already piling up and I need your help with it."

"Wait!" Hinata snapped. "Ruto-kun, you owe us an explanation!"

"Okay, okay, okay." Naruto laughed as he fished around in his kunai pouch before pulling out a three-bladed kunai. "Watch."

Naruto flung the kunai across the room, then vanished in a flash of pale gold, reappearing just by where the kunai was quivering in the pillar.

"You… used the _hiraishin_ …" Jiraiya breathed and Naruto shrugged.

"Sort of. I actually summoned Shiromari and asked him to travel to Konoha via Mount Myoboku to ask the Hokage's Guard to get ready. He thought it would take him about ten minutes, so I waited fifteen minutes before dropping this Kunai to summon the Guard and they used their _Hiraishin_ to bring us back to Konoha. From the report you sent ahead, I think we got out _just_ as Deidara's technique took out the castle.  
"Anyway, Shiromari said the other chameleons were curious about the _Hiraishin_ , so I sent him back with a copy of the scroll and the next day, I was reverse-summoned to the Valley of Mists where I met the Great Chameleon Sage, who had read the scroll and worked out how the _Hiraishin_ worked. Apparently the key is in the exact ratio of Yin and Yang chakra, which is probably why Jiraiya-sama can't do it."

"That would make sense." Jiraiya admitted ruefully. "I never expected that replacing half my Yang chakra with Spirit Toad Essence would bar me from using my student's technique. So, how did you do it?"

"The Great Chameleon Sage used his _fuinjutsu_ skills to give me a special seal that does most of the work for me." Naruto admitted with a shrug. "All I really had to do was to learn how to work with the new sense it gave me and… _Hiraishin_ complete. I've agreed to let the Chameleons use it too since they were responsible for me gaining the ability to do it."

" _Fuinjutsu_ …" Jiraiya half-laughed. "Oh, wow. Why didn't I think of that?"

"The Great Chameleon Sage is one of the oldest beings around." Naruto said. "He was a fully-grown warrior in the time _before_ the Sage of the Six Paths. His knowledge of _fuinjutsu_ is… if I used a hundred clones daily to learn without taking a break, it would probably still take me over a century to get close."

Jiraiya whistled.

"And did they help you with your chains as well?" Hinata asked.

"No." Naruto sighed. "They said I simply needed to practice, practice and practice."

"Practice makes perfect." Jiraiya intoned, trying to look wise.

Tsunade rolled her eyes.

.

"You failed. Tsunade still lives."

"What?" Deidara yelped. "But… I blew up the _castle_! It was a masterpiece of art!"

"How did she survive?" Kisame interrupted.

"We do not know at this time, but what we feared has come to pass." Pein's image stated. "It is no longer worth trying to kill her."

"And the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki?"

"He survived as well, you did not kill him." Pein replied. "Although certain portions of the plan need to be re-thought, the plan as a whole is still underway."

.

"Is this…?" Hinata gasped as they walked in through the outer gate and she saw the building for the first time.

"Our new home." Naruto aid, giving her a one-armed hug as he stood beside her.

Hinata stared entranced at the mansion set in its own gardens. The central portion stood three storys tall (with a small windmill at the peak) and two wings arced out to partially enclose the entry courtyard.

"We have training grounds at the back and all of our scrolls and similar have been placed into the vault underneath." Naruto said.

"It's a super building." Tazuna said as he wandered up, looking proudly at the mansion. "I designed it specifically for you two. I even added a full onsen and the windmill pumps water for your own private bathroom."

"It's really cool!" Inari added as he ran to his grandfather's side. "Guest rooms, a _huge_ hall, kitchens, the lot."

"But… how can we…" Hinata started before the door opened and a young woman in a maid's outfit appeared.

"Welcome to the Yurei Mansion, Lady Hinata." She bowed. "I am Tsuchi Kin and I have the honor of being the Chief Maid."

"She's a former Kunoichi who took a career-ending injury." Naruto whispered and Hinata nodded slightly in understanding. "I'm planning on hiring several other former ninja to help keep this place going."

"Do you wish for a tour?" Kin asked politely.

.

"What. A. House." Hinata sighed as she collapsed onto the bed. Naruto finished hanging up the last of the tri-blade kunai on the display wall before joining her.

"Hiashi-sama wants to meet with us tomorrow." Naruto said as he sat down and captured one of Hinata's hands. "Several of the Branch Family are interested in joining the staff of the House, helping to look after the place while we're on missions."

Hinata sighed contentedly, then giggled.

"I still can't believe that you gave Hanabi her own guest room."

"It's not like she'll be over every night, maybe once or twice a week." Naruto shrugged. "Besides, once the Great Chameleon Sage gives you the chakra-flow seal and instructs you in how to use the _hiraishin_ , you'll be able to simply pop back whenever you want."

Hinata _hmmm_ 'd in contented agreement as Naruto continued to gently stroke her hand.

"We'll never be apart again." He whispered to her softly.

.

"Little brother."

"Hokage-nii-san." Sasuke grinned back and Itachi's lips quirked in a brief smile.

"How are you finding your apprenticeship?"

"Well," Sasuke began, "I miss my old team. Sure, Sakura was a pain until Kurenai-sensei put her straight and Shino… I think he talked less than I did while I was going through my emo phase, but now that I only see them every so often… I find that I do miss them. That being said, I've learned more from Hiruzen-sensei in a week than I have previously in a month or more!"

"There is a reason that he is known as The Professor." Itachi confirmed. "How are you adjusting to your new eyes?"

"I need to work on my chakra reserves." Sasuke groaned. "These new powers are amazing, but they go through chakra faster than a starving Akamichi through a buffet."

Itachi nodded and Sasuke blinked at the sudden burst of light just outside the window.

"What was _that_?"

"Kumo collecting our reports on Akatsuki." Itachi said without bothering to look round. "So far, we are gaining as much information as we are disseminating and so we have a better idea of what, or whom, we are facing, although we still do not know their ultimate aim."

"Probably world domination." Sasuke sighed. "We need to get stronger. All of us."

"I have ordered the cost of learning from the Public Uchiha Archive to be reduced to a tenth of what it was." Itachi stated.

"That will help." Sasuke admitted. "It's always useful to have a jutsu or two that the enemy doesn't expect."

"Indeed."

For a long moment, the two of them looked out of the newly-glazed window, their gazes resting on the areas of Konoha that were still being rebuilt.

"By the way," Itachi asked, "When do you wish to undertake that training trip to Kumo in order to study _kenjutsu_ under Killer Bee?"

"I wanna study, without a doubt/ Have a chance to try my new sword out.  
"Go to Kumo and earn my grades/ Under the master of the seven blades.  
"But I gotta raise my game while I'm still here/ So maybe I'll go to him next year.  
"Word."

For a long moment, Itachi stared disbelievingly at his grinning brother, then he facepalmed.

"You were only friends for a week! How did he corrupt you that fast?"

Sasuke burst into laughter.

.

"Father." Gaara stated and the Kazekage looked up from his desk.

"Gaara. Is the seal holding?"

"It is." Gaara droned, then his tone hardened slightly. "Having a _proper_ seal to restrain the Ichibi has allowed me to interact more with my peers."

The Kazekage flinched slightly at the reminder of how he'd come within a whiskers-breadth of completely ruining his son's life.

"I summoned you here to give you this." The Kazekage said, nodding to Baki who produced a Chunin vest. Gaara accepted it and held it up, examining it.

"Why?"

"Because with the help that Jiraiya gave you, you have proven yourself." The Kazekage replied. "You managed to defeat Suigetsu and during the invasion of our allies, you saved dozens of lives. You will still remain on the same team as your siblings, though."

"That is good, I have learned how to work with them." Gaara noted.

"And although it is not usual to do this, I am placing you in charge as I need Baki for other duties." The Kazekage added and Gaara's eyes widened fractionally.

"You… trust me that much?"

"I probably trust you far more than you trust me." The Kazekage replied with a slight twitch of his lips. "Dismissed, _Chunin_."

Gaara nodded and walked out of the room.

"Thank you, sir." Baki said quietly.

"I hope that in a few years, I will be able to follow my friend Hiruzen's example and retire." The Kazekage said. "If Gaara continues to improve as he has done, I think he will be able to take this damned hat within the next five years or so."

.

Gaara blinked as the small sand-ear that he had almost absent-mindedly placed in the office relayed the discussion to him.

"Gaara… the fifth Kazekage…" He mused.

"Gaara!"

Gaara turned and his lips quirked in a brief smile that could only be noticed by one who knew him.

"Temari."

"I just heard!" Temari grinned. "Congratulations!"

"…thank you."

.

"Haku, Suigetsu! Front and center!" Zabuza snarled and the two genin darted forwards to stand before the Mizukage's desk. Behind it, Mei leaned back in her chair and steepled her fingers.

"You both did very well against your opponants. Haku, you managed to defeat a Hyuuga, not something that is easily done. Suigetsu, you held your own for a while against a Jinchuuriki. As such, and taking your actions during the Invasion into account, I am confirming you both as Chunin."

Mangetsu stepped forwards and presented them with their Chunin jackets, giving his younger brother an approving smirk.

"I'll be watching you." Zabuza growled. "Just because you've been promoted don't mean you can slack off."

Mei giggled as she reached out to stroke Zabuza's arm. "Darling, let them enjoy this day. It's not every day that one gets promoted, after all."

"Fine." Zabuza sighed, then he caught the look in Mei's eyes. "You three, scram! Go find something to do, now!"

The two freshly-minted chunin and the co-leader of the Seven Swordsmen darted out through the door as Mei rose from her chair.

"You know," She whispered into Zabuza's ear, "We have yet to christen this office."

"There aren't any curtains, Mei."

Mei whispered into Zabuza's ear and he nodded with a lop-sided grin.

"As you command, Mizukage-Hime. _Kirigakure no Jutsu_!"

.

"Omoi, Samui." A said as he leaned back in his chair, absently lifting a pair of seal-engraved dumbells. "Well done, you're promoted. Bee!"

"I'm so proud I could almost cry/ so full of joy I could reach the sky.  
"Your chunin vests, well here you go/ You're now the pride of all Kumo.  
"Ah knew a promotion would come your way/ And here you are, chunin today.  
"Word."

"Enough rapping, bee!" A roared. "You two, well done. Now go and celebrate, 'cause tomorrow you're gonna be working your asses off!"

"Hai, Raikage-sama!"

.

"Thank you for your hard work, all of you." Itachi said as he faced the crowd of builders from Wave.

"Ah, the least we could do since you rescued us from Gato and delivered him to us." Tazuna said with a grin. "'sides, if Tsunami had heard you wanted help with building and I _hadn't_ volunteered…"

Tazuna gave an exaggerated shudder, causing most of the builders to laugh.

"The bridge you built over Sharingan Lake is a work of art." Itachi said. "As are the floating houses that you designed."

"Well, if there's one thing I know above everything else, it's bridges." Tazuna shrugged, then he glanced across at the Tower Tree. "Though buildings formed from weird ninja-magic are a new one on me."

"And to us as well." Itachi agreed. "Team ten will escort you and your men back to Wave."

"Hmmm, did you say something?" Kakashi asked from his perch on the wall where he was reading an _Icha Icha_ book. Itachi merely lifted an eyebrow and briefly activated his _Mangekyo_.

"Okay, team ten is ready to move out!" Kakashi said hurriedly, quickly stowing the book in his pocket.

"How?" Hiruzen whispered from his position just behind Itachi.

"I threatened to use _Amaretsu_ on his books if he ever showed up late again." Itachi whispered back. "It seemed to work."

"You mean that all I had to do to get him to show up on time was to threaten his books?" Hiruzen gasped, then he facepalmed. "Now I _know_ I'm getting old."

.

Hinata and Naruto stood on the wall beside the gate, watching Tazuna and his workers vanishing into the distance.

"I'll miss him." Hinata sighed, then she frowned. "Ruto, why are you being quiet like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like you have something to tell me, but are waiting because you think it's funny." Hinata replied. "Tell."

"Okay. I gave Inari a carving to put on a shelf, the insignia of the Yurei clan. It contains a _Hiraishin_ tag."

"So we can visit them whenever we want." Hinata realized. "Brilliant!"

"Well, once you get the seal applied so that you can learn it as well." Naruto nodded, then he made a quick hand-seal, causing two clones of Kurama to appear.

" **Hmmm? What?"**

"I thought that you'd want to go and visit Hanabi and talk to Inoichi." Naruto explained. "That's why I summoned _two_ clones, so that you could do both."

The two Kurama's looked at him, then at each other for a long moment.

" **Jan-ken-pon?"**

" **Jan-ken-pon."**

Hinata started to giggle as the two nine-tailed foxes began playing paper-scissors-stone to decide which one got the belly rubs.

" **Dammit! You win!"**

" **Excellent, I get the rubs!"**

"You realize that original you will get all the memories anyway?" Hinata pointed out between giggles.

"Oh, that reminds me." Naruto said and he quickly ran through a few hand-seals, causing two people to appear behind him. "Hinata-hime, the alterations Jiraiya made worked. I'd like you to meet my parents. Mum, dad, this is Hinata."

Hinata found herself being embraced by the red-haired women.

"Oh, she's so _cute_!"

"Mooooo-oooooom!"

.

With a long-drawn-out creak, the tree slowly toppled over, landing in such a way that it straddled the stream that it had been growing beside.

The long-toothed animal that had been responsible for the tree's demise waddled round the jagged stump, then it seemed to freeze and collapse, a small bit of wood with fletching attached sticking out of its forehead.

"Yes!" Inari exulted as he ran over and picked up the deceased mammal. "This is going to be _perfect_ for mum's new hat when we get home!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus we hit the end of the Tsunade Retrieval arc and the story opens for adoption.  
> Not bad for a forced-muse story, but not as good as it could have been.
> 
> Also, I was informed that the story shouldn't have been M-rated, so I corrected that…  
> …by finishing with a gratuitous beaver shot!  
> ;-D


End file.
